Legends Night draws 128 statebreds

OPELOUSAS, La. - The lineups are set for Saturday's Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs, with 128 of the finest Louisiana-breds entered in the 13-race showcase. Purse money for the event will be just under $1 million.

The $100,000 Pola Benoit Memorial marks the return of Costa Rising. Last year's top Louisiana-bred 3-year-old, Costa Rising won at all four of the state's tracks in 2006 en route to compiling an 8-for-13 record and collecting over $400,000 in earnings. Trained by Glenn Delahoussaye, he has been idle since having a bone chip removed after his victory on Louisiana Premier Night at Delta Downs in early February. He will take on seven rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race for older horses.

St. Zarb, a winner of 5 of his 8 starts, heads the field for the $75,000 B. B. "Sixty" Rayburn Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile. The Cyril Hicks-trained gelding was last seen defeating older open company at Louisiana Downs in smashing fashion on June 1, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

Two of the more interesting races on the card are the divisions of the D. S. "Shine" Young Futurity. A filly division was added this year and the two races, with an estimated purse of $125,000 each, bring

together qualifiers from trials held at Evangeline on June 8 and 9.

National powerhouse trainer Steve Asmussen will send out heavy favorite Must Acquit in the colt and gelding division of the Shine. A Son of Successful Appeal, Must Acquit won his maiden at Churchill Downs in May and ran the fastest Shine qualifying time here three weeks ago. Asmussen also will send out Jumpin for Jason.

Iknowuthinkimsexy and Hisse qualified in the filly division of the Shine for Asmussen.

Another heavy hitter entered for Saturday is the multiple stakes winner Cort's P. B. in the $100,000 Junius Delahoussaye Memorial Sprint. Trained by Pat Mouton, Cort's P. B. won the Thanksgiving Day against open company at Fair Grounds last fall and most recently won the Big Earl Handicap at Louisiana Downs impressively, earning his second consecutive 104 Beyer.

Indigo Girl, winner of the Tellike Stakes here last month, returns to action in the Pierre LeBlanc Memorial Sprint, and Raspberry Wine will be going for her third stakes victory in a row in the Archie Sebastien.

A total of eight stakes will be offered on the night, plus three starter allowance races that each carry a $45,000 purse. Two 12-horse maiden special weight races for Louisiana-bred 2-year-olds will bookend the event.

First post is 6:20 p.m. Central.