Evangeline creates Sales Stakes

A new sale of 2-year-olds in training to be held at Evangeline Downs in Lafayette, La., on March 16 has led officials to create the $75,000-estimated Evangeline Sales Stakes. The new race will replace the Bayouland Sales Stakes and is one of several changes made to an 11-race, $500,000 stakes schedule that was released Friday.

In addition to the Evangeline Sales Stakes, the track has added two $35,000 stakes for 3-year-old statebreds at a mile - one for colts and geldings May 17, and the other for fillies June 7 - and increased the value of five stakes $5,000 each to $35,000.

Horses in the 2-year-old sale, which will close Jan. 25, will be eligible to compete in the Evangeline Sales Stakes, a five-furlong race to be run Aug. 2.

The Evangeline Sales Stakes will be the second richest race of the meet for 2-year-olds, behind the $100,000-estimated D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity for statebreds at five furlongs July 4.