Broberg eyes Evangeline Downs Prince for Wakefield

Trainer Karl Broberg’s stable leads North America in wins this year, and he has started to focus on adding more 2-year-olds to the mix. The barn’s most accomplished young horse Wakefield could be bound for Evangeline Downs next.

Wakefield won the $107,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity in his most recent start July 15 at Lone Star Park. The gelded son of Munnings is now 2 for 2, both for longtime Broberg client Jerry Namy. Wakefield earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 70 in the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity.

Broberg said he’ll probably point Wakefield to the $50,000 Evangeline Downs Prince on Aug. 25.

Broberg said the other race he and Namy had considered for Wakefield was the $60,000 Tyro on Aug. 4 at Monmouth Park, but the shipping options were not satisfactory. The Tyro is at five furlongs on turf, and Broberg said at some point he would like to try the grass with Wakefield.

The Evangeline Downs Prince will be run on the main track at six furlongs. It is the richest open-company stakes for 2-year-olds at Evangeline.

Broberg’s operation long has been driven by older horses like Jubal, who won his sixth consecutive race at the Evangeline meet on July 20. He was a $4,000 claim by the barn in June and has won three times for his new connections, with his July 20 win coming in a first-level allowance at a mile on turf.

Broberg is the leading trainer at Evangeline and last Thursday night he won the title at Lone Star.