New barn scores with Diggy Fresh

Diggy Fresh's last two wins have come in the $100,000 Shiskabob at Louisiana Downs - one last weekend and the other in August 2006. The Shiskabob, at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, is the annual feature on Louisiana Downs Champions Day.

Diggy Fresh closed well for a head win in this year's edition, and earned his second-best Beyer Speed Figure, an 89. The race was his first for owner Robert Asaro and trainer Keith Bourgeois after being claimed for $16,000 at Louisiana Downs on July 6.

"I thought he ran a big race," said Bourgeois. "We had claimed with the intention of running him there. The horse at one time had the class to run with those kind of horses. We claimed him, kind of just played with him for a month, and took a chance."

Bourgeois said Asaro called him about claiming Diggy Fresh, a 7-year-old gelding by Indian Charlie. The horse had long been a player in Louisiana-bred stakes, picking up checks in most all of his appearances, with his first stakes win coming in the 2006 Shiskabob.

Between his last two wins, Diggy Fresh ran 20 times, and did finish first in a $75,000 optional claimer at Louisiana Downs in October 2006. However, he was disqualified from that win for interference. The horse, whose dam, Passionate Pidgeon, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Sir Bear, has won 6 of 33 starts and $309,372.

"He's a nice little horse," said Bourgeois, who long term is targeting the Champions Day Turf at Fair Grounds for Diggy Fresh. "I want to keep him with the Louisiana-bred company, in a stakes race, anyway."

Bourgeois is the eighth-leading trainer in North America by wins. He is based at Evangeline Downs, where he leads the standings. He will start two horses in Evangeline 's biggest race next weekend, the $200,000 Evangeline Mile. Bourgeois said plans are to run stakes winner Missed the Prom and the stakes-placed State Power.

Mixed auction set for Sunday

The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders' Sales Co. has cataloged 200 horses to its summer mixed sale, which will be held Sunday at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, La. The auction begins at 10 a.m. The sale offers yearlings, horses of racing age, and breeding stock.

Among the available yearlings are a colt by Dixie Dot Com who is a half-brother to $464,492 earner Sea to See, and a colt by Easyfromthegitgo who is a half-brother to Louisiana-bred champion and $423,831 earner She's a Little Shy.