Louisiana Downs: Six stakes on Saturday card

BOSSIER CITY, La. – Some of the region’s finest young horses will descend on Louisiana Downs this Saturday for what has been billed as the “Southern Showcase.” The lineup includes the $50,000 Razorback and $50,000 Lady Razorback futurities for Arkansas-breds at six furlongs; two divisions of the seven-furlong Louisiana Stallion Stakes for 2-year-olds that are each worth $100,000; and two stakes for Louisiana-bred sales graduates at a mile on turf, the $150,000 Elge Rasberry for 3-year-old fillies and the $150,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin for 3-year-olds.

I Dare U Em should rule a solid favorite in the filly division of the Louisiana Stallion Stakes off a gutsy second-place performance in the John Franks Memorial Sales Stakes earlier this month at Evangeline Downs. The daughter of Lunarpal, who was bred by trainer, Brett Brinkman, has finished worse than second just once in four starts, an unplaced effort in the rich D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity at Evangeline in late July after helping set the early pace. She should once again be the controlling speed Saturday under Mark Guidry.

Palmy Bay, victorious in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile here last month, will be going for his second stakes win and third victory overall in the colt and gelding division of the Louisiana Stallion. Trained by Pat Mouton, Palmy Bay will square off against recent maiden winners Kwik n’ Smokey, One King’s Man, Tragers Trigger, and Eyejaykay in one of the more competitive races of the afternoon.

The Lady Razorback appears to be Good Night’s to win or lose. Fifth against open company in the Happy Ticket in her most recent start, Good Night was a maiden special weight winner in late August following a second-place finish in her debut earlier that month.

Mallard’s Bro looks like the one to beat in the Razorback. The Al Cates charge finished a good second as the heavy favorite in his debut three weeks ago. The It’s No Joke gelding attempted a mile and 70 yards at first asking and should find the six furlongs of Saturday’s race more to his liking.

Blessed Immaculata and Cape Town Bride, each of whom have been concentrating on completing their allowance conditions, will likely vie for the role of favorite in the Elge Rasberry. Blessed Immaculata will be returning to the turf for the first time since finishing third while facing open company at Fair Grounds in early April. The Macho Uno filly is a perfect 2 for 2 while facing fellow Louisiana-breds.

Cape Town Bride also is a two-time winner against statebreds in 2012. She is no stranger to the grass, having finished third in the Donnie Wilhite Stakes here last year as a 2-year-old.

Look At the Time enjoys a sizeable class advantage as he takes on six rivals in the Erwin. Dwight Viator trains the Brahms gelding, who is a stakes winner on both dirt and turf. Look At the Time will try to improve off a fifth-place performance in the Louisiana Cup Derby last month after taking much of the summer off to freshen up after a demanding winter and spring campaign that saw him win four of seven starts, including the Gentilly Stakes and Crescent City Derby at Fair Grounds.