D Fine Okie most impressive

BOSSIER CITY, La. - D Fine Okie turned in the most decisive victory of the four stakes winners at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, when she powered to a 3 1/2-length win over Comalagold in the $50,000 River Cities. The other three stakes on the card were all won in photo finishes.

D Fine Okie ($5.20) raced in second for much of the one-mile turf race for fillies and mares, with Comalagold up by five lengths through six furlongs in 1:13. D Fine Okie overtook Comalagold in the stretch and went on to cover the distance over soft turf in 1:38.65.

"We had a perfect trip," said Quincy Hamilton, who rode D Fine Okie. "She broke alertly, and settled nicely and we did't have any traffic trouble. When I called on her, she just exploded."

D Fine Okie, who is trained by Donnie Von Hemel has now won 11 of 29 starts and $340,765. D Fine Okie races for her breeders, John and Kristine Richter.

Carolina Sky, I.B.s Halo, Manage and Tortuga Flats were all scratched from the River Cities.

Double for Mouton, Perrodin

Trainer Patrick Mouton and jockey E.J. Perrodin won the first two stakes on the card when Venomous showed his grit for a nose win in the $50,000 Temperence Hill, and Cajun Conquest edged Slew by Slew by a head in the $50,000 Seeking the Gold.

Venomous ($3.40) tracked the pace in third in the six-furlong Temperence Hill, then battled through the stretch to win a three-way photo from between horses. Wheaton Home finished second, a head in front of third-place finisher Express News.

"It was an exciting finish," said Perrodin. "My horse just had that kind of willpower to just keep giving a little bit more, a little bit more. He just had a lot of fight in him."

Venomous covered the distance over a wet-fast track in 1:10.31. The win was his eighth from 20 starts. Venomous has now earned $282,205. He races for Gary and Don Holcomb.

Cajun Conquest ($19) stalked the pace set by Forty Acres in the Seeking the Gold, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds, and rallied through the stretch. He covered the distance over soft turf in 1:39.31 while scoring his second career win. He won his maiden at Fair Grounds in March. Cajun Conquest races for Pat and Steve Roe.

Middleweight in four-way photo

Middleweight was a nose winner over Ruckus in the $50,000 Barksdale, which was decided in a four-way photo. It was another half-length back to third-place finisher Erroneous I D, who finished a half-length in front of fourth-place finisher Sir Rabbit.

Waupaca, who was favored, finished a troubled fifth in the one-mile turf race. A rainstorm hit just five minutes before post for the race, which closed out the card.

Middleweight ($19.40) raced in sixth early, as Matzoh Toga led the field through an opening six furlongs in 1:15.80. Middleweight rallied through the stretch, and was determined to win from between horses.

"Right on the wire, my horse put a nose in front," said John Jacinto, who rode Middleweight for trainer Al Stall Jr. "He was trying to win the race. I knew I was going to win the race. He was trying hard."

Middleweight covered the distance over soft turf in 1:40.59. The win was his eighth from 35 career starts. Middleweight has now earned $343,055. He races for Stewart Madison and Peter Gaffney.

* There was an all-stakes pick four on the races. The 2-5-6-2 combination paid $619.

* Handle on the 10-race card was $2,185,079.