Iron Fist gives jockey Melancon two-stakes sweep

Iron Fist gave jockey Gerard Melancon a sweep of both stakes Saturday night at Evangeline Downs, when he held off a middle-of-the-track bid from Fear the Cowboy in the $100,000 Evangeline Mile.

Melancon also won the $50,000 Lafayette with Tigerstorm.

The races closed out a weekend of four stakes at Evangeline.

Iron Fist ($4.40) sat just off the pace set by Just Stormin, who took the field through fractions of 24.64 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.81 for the half-mile on the sloppy, sealed track. Iron Fist took the lead through six furlongs in 1:12.95 and went on to a half-length win over Fear the Cowboy. He covered the distance in 1:37.62.

Steve Asmussen trains Iron Fist for Whispering Oaks Farm.

Iron Fist came into the Evangeline Mile off a third-place finish to Mor Spirit in the Grade 3, $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile on May 7 at Lone Star Park.

Iron Fist was winning his second stakes Saturday night behind the Maxxam Gold Cup in February at Sam Houston. He is a son of Tapit and a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Sweet Lulu and a full brother to Grade 2 winner Anchor Down.

Tigerstorm ($5.60) was winning his third straight race in the Lafayette, a seven-furlong stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds. He covered the distance, run around two turns, in 1:25. James Hodges trains Tigerstorm for Phyliss Hodges and Randy Schiender. Tigerstorm is a son of Half Ours.