Louisiana Downs: Drinking Fund, off stakes win, drops into optional claimer

Drinking Fund and Lillie Abbie were both stakes winners in their last starts, and both are surprise entrants in separate overnight races Thursday, between Louisiana Downs and Lone Star Park.

Drinking Fund is on deck first, at Louisiana Downs. She will be seeking her sixth consecutive win when she starts in the second race, a $10,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Lillie Abbie, meanwhile, runs Thursday night at Lone Star Park, in a $10,000 claimer for fillies and mares over 7 1/2 furlongs on the grass.

Drinking Fund became a stakes winner in the $50,000 Honeymoon for Louisiana-breds in her last start June 1. She was entered in that Louisiana Downs stakes only after races similar to the one she will run in Thursday failed to fill, her owner and trainer Joey Foster said.

“We entered her three times in the same race, and it didn’t go,” Foster said. “She went on and won the stakes, and I don’t think anybody thought she would be in this race.”

Foster said he hopes Thursday’s race will serve as Drinking Fund’s springboard to a stakes on the Louisiana Legends program at Evangeline Downs on July 6. Drinking Fund has made more than $180,000 for Foster since he claimed her for $5,000 in January 2012. She began her current win streak this past December at Delta Downs, at the same level she runs for Thursday. Drinking Fund continued to build her streak at Delta before taking the Honeymoon by a neck.

“She came out of the race good,” Foster said. “Number six is what we’re hoping for.”

Drinking Fund will break from the rail under regular rider Chris Rosier.

“She can be on the inside or the outside, it doesn’t bother her. She just does what she has to do,” Foster said. “Like Rosier says, she’s an easy horse to ride. Push the button and she goes. Call on her and she responds for you very well. That’s what we’re hoping.”

Lillie Abbie won the $50,000 Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes for Texas-breds at Lone Star on May 11. One start prior, she was a $10,000 claim by End Zone Athletics and trainer Karl Broberg. She is back in for the same price Thursday night and will be racing over the same distance of her stakes win. Junior Chacaltana has the mount from post 3.