Mocito Rojo seeks first turf victory in John Henry

Mocito Rojo upset the Evangeline Mile for trainer Shane Wilson last month. The horse will attempt to pull another surprise Saturday night in the $50,000 John Henry at Evangeline Downs.

Mocito Rojo will be looking for his first turf win in the John Henry, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up.

The field of nine includes turf specialists Potomac River, a multiple Grade 3 winner still going strong at 9, and Big Changes, the probable favorite off a 91 Beyer Speed Figure earned for an Indiana Grand allowance win last out for trainer Brad Cox.

Mocito Rojo upset the Cox trainee Dazzling Gem in the $100,000 Evangeline Mile on June 23, giving Wilson, a 47-year-old native of Louisiana, the richest win of his career. The Evangeline Mile was on dirt but Mocito Rojo had to prep for it on turf, finishing a close second in a May 16 allowance at Evangeline.

“We needed one more race in between, got an allowance on the turf, and he ran a big race that night,” said Wilson. “I really liked how he ran on the grass.”

Mocito Rojo has been a long time coming for Wilson.

“We don’t buy a lot of expensive horses, don’t really have a steady stream of young horses,” the trainer said. “We don’t get a chance to run in these races very often. He’s been a blessing – claimed for $10,000 and winning the stakes that night with him.”

Wilson started his racing career in high school as a hotwalker in the summers for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg at Louisiana Downs.

“I’ve been on the track ever since,” he said. “It’s hard to get away once you get into it.”

Wilson later spent seven years working for trainer Sam David Jr., and was with the outfit when Blushing K.D. won the Kentucky Oaks in 1997. Wilson launched his own training career the next season and his first win came in a stakes, when Fullasatick captured the $25,000 Jiffy Lube at Sam Houston. An opportunity to train for multiple Eclipse Award winner John Franks followed a few years later, but the oilman died in 2004.

“It’s a tough business,” Wilson said. “It’s just up and down. After Mr. Franks passed away, I had to rebuild.”

Mocito Rojo’s owner, Wayne T. Davis, has been a big supporter of Wilson, who has a 40-horse stable at Evangeline. The owner has about 20 horses with the barn, chief among them Mocito Rojo, who was claimed out of his career debut.

“A lot of what Mocito Rojo has done is because of the patience Mr. Davis has,” Wilson said, noting the horse did not run for five months following the claim.

It was worth the wait. Mocito Rojo has since earned more than $170,000 and could add a turf stakes to his résumé Saturday.

Invaders galore at Albuquerque

Fillies who last raced at Santa Anita, Prairie Meadows, Turf Paradise, and throughout New Mexico have descended upon the Downs at Albuquerque for Saturday night’s $50,000 Petticoat.

The six-furlong race is for 3-year-old fillies. The cast of 10 includes stakes winner Laudation, who enters off a third-place finish in the Goldfinch at Prairie Meadows; Easydoes It Please, who was a maiden winner at Santa Anita in March; and Kowboy’s Gigi, who is seeking her third straight win after back-to-back victories at Turf Paradise.

Laudation could go favored. She invaded New Mexico earlier this year and was second and third in a pair of Sunland stakes captured by Blamed, eventual winner of the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks. Laudation, who is out of the multiple Grade 2-winning mare Rite Moment, registered her most significant win in the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord last October at Remington Park. Alfredo Juarez Jr. has the mount for owner Jerry Durant and trainer Steve Asmussen.

Lovable Lilly, who is based in New Mexico, is seeking her third straight win. She started her streak in a maiden special weight April 3 at Sunland, then captured a conditioned allowance in her most recent out June 9 at SunRay Park. Jansen Melancon has the mount for UKUSA Stable and trainer Justin Evans.

Delta: Statebred Quarter Horses in spotlight

Eysa Jess Jumpn will bring the fastest qualifying time into the $700,000 Lee Berwick Futurity, the richest of seven Quarter Horse stakes on Saturday night’s Louisiana Showcase program at Delta Downs.

Purses for the card of 12 races for Louisiana-breds total $1.4 million. The program closes out the meet at Delta.

Eysa Jess Jumpn won her 350-yard trial for the Lee Berwick in 17.28 seconds, proving the fastest qualifier after 14 trials for the finale were held June 16 at Delta. She will break from post 3 in the field of 10. David Alvarez has the mount for trainer Josue Huitron.

The other major races on the card are the $268,655 Louisiana-bred Derby and the $100,000 Louisiana Classic.

First post is a special 5:45 p.m. Central.