Claimer Lucky Rave steps up in class in John Henry Stakes

OPELOUSAS, La. – What Saturday night’s $60,000 John Henry Stakes at Evangeline Downs lacks in star power, it more than makes up for in numbers. An overflow field of 13, including one also-eligible, was entered for the 1 1/16-mile turf test named for the racing legend who began his career at the old Evangeline Downs in nearby Carencro, La. And, as was the case in the early days of the namesake of Saturday night’s feature, there is some claiming form to deal with.

Lucky Rave, who saw a four-race win streak narrowly end in his last race, will be making his first start for perennial local training powerhouse Keith Bourgeois, who claimed the 7-year-old for $25,000 from Ron Faucheux on March 23. Faucheux had just claimed the son of Lucky Story from Steve Asmussen for the same amount at Fair Grounds 10 days earlier. Overall, Lucky Rave has accumulated five wins from 18 starts on turf. Joe Patin will be in the saddle Saturday night.

Runaway Stephen has been installed as the lukewarm 3-1 morning-line favorite off three consecutive runner-up performances in stakes company at Delta Downs while racing on dirt. The Stephen Got Even gelding is no stranger to turf, however, having accounted for an entry-level allowance score on grass at Louisiana Downs last summer. Trainer Joey Foster has once again enlisted the services of jockey Chris Rosier.

The wild card in this year’s edition of the John Henry appears to be Unlatch. The winner of the Woodchopper Stakes over the Fair Grounds turf late in his 3-year-old campaign in 2012, the 5-year-old son of the South African sire Horse Chestnut has raced just four times since then, but finished an improving fourth in upper-level optional-claiming company in his last start at Fair Grounds in March. A bullet half-mile work between starts indicates that the Al Stall Jr. trainee might be in line for additional improvement. Jamie Theriot will handle the riding chores.