Allowance attracts stakes-quality field

The first race at Louisiana Downs drew a strong lineup of fillies and mares at about a mile on turf. The horse to beat in the optional $30,000 claimer is Category Seven.

She missed by a head in the $50,000 Top Corsage on June 13, closing from next-to-last in a race taken wire to wire by Hotlantic. Before that, Category Seven won a $30,000 optional claimer at Louisiana Downs on June 7, and a first-level allowance at Lone Star on May 8. Richard Eramia has the mount.

Tortuga Flats, who has amassed $304,100 of her $581,160 in career earnings over the Louisiana Downs course, is making her third start off a layoff Saturday. Kirk LeBlanc has the mount for trainer Ralph Irwin.

The race Saturday should produce starters for both the $100,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff on Aug. 1, and the $75,000 River Cities on Sept. 19.