Americium wins Opelousas; Thornton wins four on card

Americium gave Evangeline Downs leading jockey Tim Thornton his fourth win on Friday night’s program when she drove to a 1 1/4-length victory over Holiday’s Angel in the $50,000 Opelousas. It was another neck back in third to Mi Copa Rebosa.

The Opelousas was for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

Americium ($3.80) was content to sit just off the pace set by Mi Copa Rosa, with that one taking the field through fractions of 25.18 seconds for the opening quarter, 50.23 for the half-mile, and 1:14.16 for six furlongs. Americium pushed past the leader in the stretch while covering the distance on firm ground in 1:37.76.

Karl Broberg trains Americium, who was his third winner on the card Friday. Broberg leads the current standings at Evangeline.

Americium, who was winning her second straight race following an optional $35,000 claimer in June at Lone Star Park, is a daughter of Brilliant Speed. She earned $30,000 for the Opelousas victory for M and M Racing and overall has a record of 8 wins from 17 starts for earnings of $170,361.

Thorton’s other winners on the night were Blues Melody ($17) in the first race, Jaded Rose ($2.80) in the second for Broberg, and That’s d’Cat ($4) in the sixth, one race before taking the Opelousas with Americium at 4-5.