Asmussen holds two aces for Salute

Steve Asmussen appears to hold all the cards in Friday night's $50,000 Salute Stakes at Evangeline Downs as he will send out the heavily favored entry of Lightlightlight and Seven Seventythree for the Heiligbrodt Racing Stable.

:: RACE OF THE DAY:

Asmussen's duo will square off against nine other Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs in the eighth race.

Lightlightlight comes into the Salute off a score in the Fantasia Stakes on opening weekend of the Louisiana Downs season last month. A daughter of Whywhywhy, Lightlightlight brought $80,000 at the Texas 2-year-olds in training sale last April at Lone Star Park and has already earned more than $150,000. She has won 4 of 10 starts and has finished off the board only twice. Randall Toups has the call.

Seven Seventythree narrowly missed in the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star in her most recent start. Prior to that, she took the Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds in late March. Gerard Melancon will ride.

Those trying to pull an upset in the Salute include Muffin, who finished only a neck behind Seven Seventythree in the Crescent City Oaks; Trysting, third in the Fantasia and shipping in from Louisiana Downs for trainer Pat Mouton; Cajun Conference, a winner of 2 of 3 starts; and Bananafafana, who finished a fast-closing second in allowance company in her last start.