Delta Downs: Little Ms Protocol, Guadalupe High meet again in Gold Coast Stakes

The common Delta Downs handicapping question of how the fillies and mares entered in Friday night’s $75,000 Gold Coast Stakes will handle the track’s six-furlong, sand-based racing surface has already been answered. The one-mile race is restricted to horses who have started at Delta Downs since Oct. 10.

A field of six will start in the Gold Coast on the penultimate card of the meet. Of the entrants, four have won at Delta, with Little Ms Protocol boasting a 5-for-9 record over the Vinton, La., track and Guadalupe High compiling a 3-for-4 mark at Delta.

Little Ms Protocol and Guadalupe High ran second and third in last month’s $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Distaff at Delta. Little Ms Protocol rallied from next-to-last to miss by a head, finishing 1 3/4 lengths in front of Guadalupe High.

Little Ms Protocol could get a similar trip in the Gold Coast. There is a fair amount of speed situated to her inside, with Guadalupe High, Flashy Campaign, and Hometown Gossip all candidates to be prominent from the three inside posts. Little Ms Protocol will break from post 4 under Delta’s leading rider, Diego Saenz.

Coteau Grove Farms owns Little Ms Protocol, a 5-year-old mare by El Corredor who has earned $636,890. She is trained by Patrick Devereux.

Guadalupe High, who will break from post 2 under Mark Guidry, is co-owned and trained by Ronny Werner.

Flashy Campaign was a front-running allowance winner at Delta in her most recent start Feb. 12. Gerard Melancon has the mount for trainer Tom Amoss.