Bourque's recovery on schedule

Jockey Steve Bourque, a seven-time title winner at Delta Downs, said he expects to resume riding at the Vinton, La., track next month. He is recovering from a fractured ankle sustained in a gate accident in November.

Bourque fractured his right ankle, as well as his shoulder and a facial bone, when one of his mounts flipped in the starting gate Nov. 13. He said his ankle cast will be removed Tuesday.

"I should be back up and around in January, the first or second week," said Bourque, 41.

Bourque said he plans to breeze horses for about a week, then resume race riding. He said no surgeries were required for his injuries.

"I'm just kicking back," he said, adding that he is eager to get back in the saddle.

In addition to Delta, Bourque has won titles at Evangeline and Sam Houston Race Park. He has won 178 races this year, and in his career has won 3,388 races and $22 million in purses.

My Parade poised for big season

My Parade, a 2-year-old son of Parade Ground who was fourth in the $1 million Delta Jackpot on Dec. 4, could resurface in route stakes at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park this winter.

"He's a nice little colt," said Eddie Milligan Sr., who trains My Parade for Simmons and Associates. "We've got a lot of options with him."

Milligan said My Parade, who won the $75,000 Lafayette this year at Evangeline, is getting a three-week vacation at a farm in Texas. My Parade was bred in Kentucky, and his sire, a son of Kingmambo, was a Grade 2 winner on turf whose dirt wins included the Tampa Bay Derby.

"He's an intelligent colt and has good conformation," Milligan said of My Parade. "He's not a large horse, but he's got a large heart."

Milligan said he believes My Parade is best around two turns. The colt won his maiden in a route at Louisiana Downs in August, then cut back to six furlongs and won the Lafayette. He went on to finish third to Leaving on My Mind in the $100,000 Jean Lafitte at one mile at Delta, before running a strong race in the 1 1/16-mile Jackpot under regular rider Filemon Rodriguez.

A stakes win for Christmas?

The $40,000 Cocodrie on Friday night is designed to make one of its starters a stakes winner. The 6 1/2-furlong race for Louisiana-breds is restricted to horses who have never won a stakes, and it drew an eager field of 10.

Noble Decision will return to the statebred ranks, and two turns, after finishing second by a neck against open company in an allowance that carried an optional claiming price of $30,000 on Nov. 19. Before that race, he was a 6 1/4-length winner of an entry-level allowance at Delta on Oct. 23.

Noble Decision should be sharp for the move to two turns on the heels of two five-furlong races, and he could rule as a slight favorite over Valid Faith. C.J. Woodley has the mount on Noble Decision for Budlon Stables and Chad Hassenpflug.

The chief threat appears to be Valid Faith, who won by 8 1/2 lengths last out in a one-mile conditioned allowance for statebreds at Delta on Dec. 4. Leading rider Guy Smith has the mount for trainer Carl Deville.

* Delta will race Tuesday, Dec. 21, because there will be no live racing next Friday and Saturday in observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas. The program on Tuesday will begin at 2:30 p.m. Central. Delta will also put on afternoon cards on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

* Delta has begun offering superfecta wagering on all races with at least eight horses in the program. If one or more horses scratch, the wager will still be available provided the scratch occurred after the pools opened for the day, according to a release from Delta.