Louisiana Legends Classic the missing piece for Mobile Bay

Mobile Bay is the star attraction on the Louisiana Legends program Saturday night at Evangeline Downs, and if he wins the $100,000 Classic the 6-year-old will move into third-place on the list of all-time leading Louisiana-bred earners. The 1 1/16-mile race is the richest of seven stakes on a card worth $600,000.

Louisiana Legends Night annually spotlights Louisiana-bred horses, but this year Evangeline has added a new twist. A group of legendary retired jockeys with ties to Louisiana – Eddie Delahoussaye, Mark Guidry, Randy Romero and Ray Sibille – will meet with patrons before the races Saturday.

The card also will feature a $50,000 minimum guaranteed pick four pool on races 4-7.

Mobile Bay has earned $1,243,440, placing him just $26,612 behind the retired Scott’s Scoundrel on the all-time earnings list posted by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Star Guitar tops the list with $1.7 million in earnings, and Happy Ticket is second with $1.6 million.

Mobile Bay has won stakes in his last five starts dating back to December 2016. He is by Lone Star Special, a stakes-winning son of Malabar Gold who stands for $2,500 in Benton, La. Mobile Bay’s dam is the winning Out of Place mare Tranquility Bay.

“He’s widened the eyes of people here – a horse out of a local mare by a local stallion who has gone on to win $1.2 million,” said Roger Heitzmann, secretary-treasurer of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. “He’s won stakes not just in Louisiana, but around the country. He’s been very competitive, dances every dance. And he’s a beautiful horse.”

Mobile Bay has won 13 of 28 starts, with 11 of those wins coming in stakes. His biggest scores include the Grade 2 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, the Zia Park Derby, the Sunland Park Handicap, and the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston. Mobile Bay also is a two-time winner of the Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds and twice has won the Louisiana Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs. He has never won the Louisiana Legends Classic.

A two-time winner over the main track at Evangeline, Mobile Bay is part of a seven-horse field for the Classic. Diego Saenz, his regular rider, has the mount for breeder-owner Tigertail Ranch. The start will be Mobile Bay’s first since he captured the Star Guitar on March 31 at Fair Grounds.

“The horse gives his all every time, after long rests, short rests,” Heitzmann said. “His trainer, Victor Arceneaux, has done a fantastic job keeping this horse ready to run when the time is called.”

Heitzmann said that Irwin Olian of Tigertail Ranch has twice led Louisiana in breeder awards, in 2015 and 2016. In those years, Mobile Bay was the Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year, first earning the title at 3 and then again at 4. Mobile Bay was Louisiana’s leading older male for 2017 in awards announced May 6, while Big World, winner of last year’s Grade 1 La Troienne, was the Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year for 2017.

Mobile Bay’s rivals Saturday night include Mageez, the runner-up in the Star Guitar, and Social Misfit, who was second by a head to Sir Genghis in last year’s Louisiana Legends Classic. First post is 5:50 p.m. Central.