Ben's Cat among Evangeline Turf Sprint nominees

OPELOUSAS, La. – Nominations closed last week for the inaugural running of the $300,000 Evangeline Turf Sprint, and the list is an impressive one. The five-furlong dash will anchor a five-stakes program June 21 that will have a special first-race post time of 3:40 p.m. Central. The program also will feature an all-stakes pick four with a guaranteed pool of $100,000.

Among those nominated to the Turf Sprint are Ben’s Cat and Marchman. Ben’s Cat is an 18-time stakes winner and earner of almost $2 million for Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury. Bret Calhoun trains Marchman, the winner of the Grade 3 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Shakertown at Keeneland this spring.

The locally based Heitai, a two-time stakes winner at this meet trained by Karl Broberg, also is under consideration.

Chris Warren, Evangeline’s racing secretary and director of racing operations, said he is pleased with the nominations list but is worried that the Grade 3, $300,000 Jaipur – a six-furlong turf sprint Saturday at Belmont Park – could attract some horses who might have gone at Evangeline.