Louisiana Legends Night main event of new season
Evangeline Downs has added six new stakes to its schedule for the 2005 season, which will be conducted for the first time at its new site in Opelousas, La., beginning April 7. In all, 17 stakes worth $965,000 will be decided, highlighted by the inaugural Louisiana Legends Night on July 2.
Louisiana Legends Night is a program of eight statebred stakes worth a cumulative $425,000. It is led by the $100,000 D.S. "Shine" Young Memorial Futurity. The five-furlong race for 2-year-olds bred in Louisiana will be run for the 40th time.
Six $50,000 stakes also are on the program, including a one-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and one for 3-year-old fillies.
Jason Boulet, racing secretary at Evangeline, said he wants to add two turf stakes to Legends Night when the track begins grass racing in 2006.
Other major stakes during the meet include the $100,000 Evangeline Mile for 3-year-olds and upward on Aug. 14 and the $75,000 Lafayette for 2-year-olds on Sept. 5. Among the new stakes is the $50,000 Hallowed Dreams for 3-year-old fillies at five and a half furlongs on April 15.
Evangeline will race 88 days through Sept. 5.
2005 stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Thurs. April 7 | Inaugural Handicap | 3 YO | 6 furlongs | $50,000 |
| Fri. April 15 | HALLOWED DREAMS | 3 YOF | 5 1/2 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Fri. May 6 | John Henry Handicap | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Fri. May 20 | Tellike Handicap | 3YO & Up F&M | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Fri. June 17 | EvD Sprint Championship | 3YO & Up | 4 1/2 furlongs | 40,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | Mervin Muniz Memorial | 3YO & Up* | 1 Mile 70 yds | 25,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | POLA BENOIT MEMORIAL | 4YO & Up* | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | J. ARCHIE SEBASTIEN MEM. | 4YO & Up F&M* | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | JUNIUS DELAHOUSSAYE MEM. | 3YO & Up* | 5 1/2 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | PIERRE LeBLANC MEMORIAL | 3YO & Up F&M* | 5 1/2 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | B. B . Rayburn Stakes | 3 YO* | 1 Mile | 50,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | Frank A. Abadie Memorial | 3 YOF * | 1 Mile | 50,000 |
| Sat. July 2 | "shine" Young Futurity | 2 YO* | 5 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat. July 30 | John Franks Memorial Sales | 2 YO | 5 furlongs | 75,000 |
| Sat. Aug. 13 | Evangeline Mile | 3YO & Up | 1 Mile | 100,000 |
| Sat. Sept. 3 | Matron Handicap | F&M 3 & Up | 1 Mile | 50,000 |
| Mon. Sept. 5 | Lafayette Stakes | 2 YO | 6 furlongs | 75,000 |
* Denotes accredited Louisiana Bred