The $100,000 Evangeline Downs Mile on Saturday night helps usher in opening weekend at the Opelousas, La., track that last season was the site of the career debut of Kentucky Derby candidate Coal Battle and which continues to be the spring and summer base of Louisiana-bred superstar Free Like a Girl.
Evangeline will race 73 nights through Aug. 23. First post is 5:30 p.m. Central.
The Evangeline Mile, for 4-year-olds and up, drew a field of 10, plus a pair of also-eligibles. Accretive will get his fair share of support against a field that includes Frankie’s Empire, the winner of last year’s Swale who is making his first start since June; Kapuna, who won last year’s Evangeline Mile; and The Donegal Clan, the winner of last year’s Lafayette at Evangeline.
Accretive was fourth in a third-level allowance at Fair Grounds on March 6. He was beaten just two lengths in the about one-mile turf race. Accretive’s effort came one start after he finished a close second at the same level on dirt Jan. 16. Trainer Joe Sharp said there were a couple of reasons to target the Evangeline Mile.
“We were just kind of navigating, trying to look for a spot that he could be competitive in, and he really likes that flat mile. It’s a good distance for him,” Sharp said.
“We tried him on the grass last time at Fair Grounds and he ran a respectable race, but I think he is a touch quicker on the dirt. That race he ran two starts back, he was second to Encino, a good horse, and he really gave the horse a run for his money that day. He dug in and tried.”
Timothy Thornton, who is coming off the riding title at Delta Downs, has the mount from post 4 for Carl Moore.
“There’s a ton of speed in there,” Sharp said. “I think he’ll be in a stalking position, just by looking at what’s in the race.”
The Evangeline Mile shares a card with the $60,000 Lafayette for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs and the $35,000 Kenny Cotton Memorial. The Lafayette field of eight includes Contrabandist, who finished third behind Coal Battle in Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs in November. Juan Vargas, the regular rider of Coal Battle, has the mount on Contrabandist.
Coal Battle won his career debut last July at Evangeline for trainer Lonnie Briley, who said he will have a stable this meet in Opelousas. Coal Battle will soon head to Churchill Downs to prepare for the Kentucky Derby after winning the Rebel Stakes and running third in the Arkansas Derby.
Liken It leads the field for the Kenny Cotton Memorial, a race for Alabama-breds being run in an agreement with the Birmingham Racing Commission and Alabama HBPA, according to a press release from Evangeline.
◗ Free Like a Girl, who is a candidate for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park, worked a bullet half-mile in 46.80 seconds March 21 at Evangeline.
◗ Evangeline will race Wednesday through Saturday until the middle of June, when the calendar shifts to Thursday through Saturday. The track’s stakes schedule is led by the $600,000 Louisiana Legends Night card of six Louisiana-bred stakes June 7.
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