Evans has pair in Inaugural Stakes

Trainer Justin Evans, who is coming off a record-setting meet at Sunland Park, will invade Colorado on Sunday with Alsono and Blackout in the $40,000 Inaugural at Arapahoe Park. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds is the first stakes of the 39-date mixed meet that opened Saturday, and Evans plans to be a regular part of the program topped by the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity and $100,000 Arapahoe Park Classic. Those races close out the meet in August.

“There’s a lot of spots for us to be able to ship some horses in,” said Evans, who has divisions of his stable at Ruidoso Downs and SunRay Park in New Mexico. “We bought a Line of David colt we’re planning to start at Del Mar this summer, then head up to the Gold Rush.”

Jaycito, a Grade 1 winner Evans has based at Ruidoso, is a long-term candidate for the Classic.

Evans on Sunday has the probable Inaugural favorite in Alsono, the winner by a head of the $35,000 SunRay Handicap at a mile May 3. He will be ridden by Elvin Gonzalez.

“He ran so great off the layoff the other day to beat Rebranded,” Evans said. “He’s so game, that horse. If he gets a head in front, he’s tough to get by. He’s cutting back to six furlongs, and I think he’s a way better sprinter than he is a route horse.”

Evans said he likes the outside post, No. 7, he drew with Alsono. Blackout will break from post 4 in the field of seven Sunday.

“He needs a little bit of pace to set him up,” Evans said.

Evans broke his own record for trainer wins at a Sunland meet in April, with 93. He said Arapahoe’s decision to put its Classic and Gold Rush on the same weekend this meet, on Aug. 16-17, makes both races more appealing.

“It works out well for a guy shipping in,” he said.

Arapahoe, offering about $100,000 a day in purses, hopes to build on the momentum of its recent seasons.

“There’s been steady improvement the last six years,” said Bill Powers, plant manager and director of racing for Arapahoe. “We’ve shown improvement in handle and attendance and hope to continue that. Looking at people taking our signal and the interest from horsemen, I see no reason why we can’t stay on par and get better. The hope is we’ll be up.”

Arapahoe will race through Monday this holiday weekend, then shift to a Friday-to-Sunday schedule for the remainder of the meet, which closes Aug. 17.