Bluffalatta goes for third straight local win in B-Connected Stakes

Bluffalatta will be looking to keep his Delta Downs record perfect Saturday night, when he starts as one of the top players in the $65,000 B-Connected. The 7 1/2-furlong race drew a field of eight, including Arkansas Martini, who is moving back into the Louisiana-bred ranks, and Knockitdownhard, who is making his first start off the claim for the high-percentage team of owner Maggi Moss, trainer Tom Amoss, and jockey Gerard Melancon.

Bluffalatta invades from Fair Grounds. He has made two starts at Delta Downs, with the latest back in March.

“He’s 2 for 2 at Delta, and I think that track can be a horse-for-course type of racetrack,” said trainer Al Stall Jr.

Key contenders

Bluffalatta (Last 3 Beyers: 80-84-85)

* Bluffalatta was sixth Nov. 23 in a $35,000 optional-claiming route for Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds in his most recent start, and Stall noted the race was a strong one. The winner, One King’s Man, came back to run third in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic, while the runner-up, String King, returned in his next start to win the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf.

* The Nov. 23 out was Bluffalatta’s first since Aug. 2. “I think he needed that race,” Stall said. “He seems like he’ll be better as a result of that race.”

* Bluffalatta, owned by Parting Glass Racing, will break from post 5 under Colby Hernandez. “He comes from off of it a little,” Stall said. “It does look like there’s some five-eighths horses stretching out, which is a good thing.”

Arkansas Martini (Last 3 Beyers: 82-76-79)

* He was fourth in a $40,000 optional claimer against open company Dec. 4 at Fair Grounds, which marked his first out since June.

* Arkansas Martini ran third to Sunbean three races back in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Classic, and since then, Sunbean has won three stakes, including the $250,000 Delta Mile.

Knockitdownhard (Last 3 Beyers: 87-63-93)

* He was claimed for $30,000 out of his last start, a victory at Delta Downs.

* Amoss is winning races at a 39 percent clip at Delta, and he and Melancon team to hit at better than a 40 percent rate.

Evangeline cards five stakes

Evangeline Downs, the Opelousas, La., sister track of Delta, will close out its Quarter Horse meet Saturday night with five stakes, led by the $214,650 Evangeline Downs Futurity and the $126,225 Evangeline Downs Derby.

The races will be part of an all-stakes pick four that runs on races 8-11. It has a 50-cent minimum.

Quiet Riot dominated his trial for the Evangeline Futurity on Nov. 28, winning by 1 1/4 lengths. He set the fastest qualifying time, covering 400 yards in 19.89 seconds. Quiet Riot will be seeking his third straight win Saturday. Manuel Garcia has the mount for trainer Rodolfo Sanchez.