Delta Downs: Jean Lafitte draws Jackpot hopefuls from near and far

Horses who last raced in Southern California, New York, Kentucky, Illinois, and Oklahoma have all converged in Vinton, La., for Saturday night’s $200,000 Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs. The winner of the one-mile race for 2-year-olds gets first preference into the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot on Nov. 23.

Guns Loaded and Flat Gone both exit fifth-place finishes in Grade 1 races in Southern California. Guns Loaded was beaten just over a length in the Del Mar Futurity, while Flat Gone was five lengths back in the FrontRunner at Santa Anita.

Southern Blessing, meanwhile, spent his summer in New York, where he was second in the Grade 2 Sanford then 10th in the Grade 1 Hopeful, both at Saratoga. Rise Up invades from Kentucky, where last month he ran sixth in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill. Mighty Brown is a stakes-placed maiden who last raced at Arlington Park in Illinois, while Rivers Run Deep invades off a stakes-placing at Remington Park in Oklahoma.

Cody Autrey trains Rivers Run Deep and Guns Loaded for James and Ywachetta Driver. The horses are now based at the Evangeline Downs Training Center near Lafayette, La.

“I don’t know for sure if we’re running both horses or not,” Autrey said Thursday. “We’ve got to make a decision. If we only run one, it will probably be Rivers Run Deep.”

Rivers Run Deep won his debut in a maiden special weight at Del Mar on Aug. 28. He has raced once since, and finished a fast-closing second to gate-to-wire winner Aarons Orient in the $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington. Rivers Run Deep could get an ideal stalking trip Saturday.

“Coming off the sprint race, he’ll probably be a little closer,” Autrey said. “I think he could be laying somewhere in the second or third spot. He’s really good-minded, rates really well.”

Rivers Run Deep and Guns Loaded have yet to race around two turns, and Autrey said there are reasons to believe both will handle the trip. The Jean Lafitte would be the dirt debut for Guns Loaded, and Autrey feels good about the surface move based on the horse’s works at the training center.

Roman Chapa has been named on both horses. They race as separate interests due to a Louisiana rule that allows for entrants owned by the same owner to be uncoupled in stakes worth more than $50,000, said Delta official Chris Warren.

Burning Warrior is the one to catch based on his gate-to-wire win in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile last out at Louisiana Downs. He covered six furlongs in 1:10.40 and the Beyer Figure of 91 that he put up is the best career number in the Jean Lafitte.