Net Sum Gain goes for four in row

Net Sum Gain is the favorite to score his fourth straight win and his first stakes victory in the inaugural running of the $255,241 Harrah's Entertainment Futurity at Louisiana Downs on Saturday afternoon.

After winning a maiden race from his first two starts, Net Sum Gain has become a stakes horse for trainer Dwayne "Sleepy" Gilbreath with three consecutive wins, including a victory in the consolation to the Texas Classic Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park.

Net Sum Gain, a well-bred son of leading sire Mr Jess Perry and stakes winner Okeydokey Baby, came out of a live Harrah's trial when he finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Bugs Mega Jet, fresh from a win in the Grade 2 Kansas Jackpot Futurity. Net Sum Gain recorded the fastest qualifying time of 19.626 seconds for the 400 yards. Bugs Mega Jet had the third-fastest time of 19.747 seconds.

Bugs Mega Jet was sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the trial after winning four of his first five starts, including his 1 1/2-length victory in the Kansas Jackpot. That was his first stakes appearance after moving up from maiden and allowance competition.

Second-fastest qualifier Justiflied is also well-positioned for her first stakes win after runner-up efforts in the New Mexico Juvenile Challenge and the Quarter Horse Racing Journal Stakes. She has three wins and three seconds from seven starts, with her only off-the-board finish coming after she had trouble at the start of the Grade 2 Texas Juvenile Challenge.

Wings of La Jolla has been in the top echelon of Louisiana's open 2-year-old competition, with a neck win in the Grade 2 Firecracker Futurity at Delta Downs among his three wins from four career starts. He was sidelined until the Harrah's trials on Nov. 18, when he finished fourth behind Net Sum Gain, and probably needed the race.

Behold a Corona, second in the Firecracker Futurity, made the Harrah's finals with a runner-up effort behind Blackjack Rebel in their trial.