Pickett could become sire's first stakes winner

Louisiana-based trainer Glenn Delahoussaye got a firsthand look at Goldencents back in 2012, when the horse shipped in to win the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. Fast forward six years, and Delahoussaye has the first winner by Goldencents, now a stallion, in Pickett.

Pickett, who won his debut in May, could become his sire’s first stakes winner Saturday night at Evangeline Downs. He will start as a top contender in the $75,000 colts and geldings division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity. The 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds bred in Louisiana shares a card with a Shine Young division for fillies, also worth $75,000.

Goldencents won the Jackpot at 2 and later in his career took back-to-back runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. His first crop of horses hit the track this year, and he’s already had six winners through Wednesday.

“I saw him run at Delta and then I followed his career after that,” Delahoussaye said. “I loved Goldencents as a racehorse. He could go short, long, one turn, two turns. I really thought he couldn’t miss as a stallion.”

Delahoussaye purchased Pickett as a yearling for $50,000 on behalf of owner Charlie Carlton during the Equine Sales Company of Louisiana auction. The horse debuted May 30 at Evangeline in a maiden special weight for Louisiana-breds. Pickett showed excellent speed from the start and won in hand by 6 1/2 lengths.

“I expected him to run that well because he was giving me all the right signals in his workouts,” Delahoussaye said. “The first time I worked him – I always go an eighth of a mile with them early on – his first eighth of a mile was phenomenal. I was like, ‘Okay. We might have got lucky here.’ ’’

Delahoussaye said that aside from Pickett’s sire, there are other reasons he believes the 2-year-old has a license to be a good horse. He noted that Pickett’s dam, Street Beat, produced both Hisse, a four-time stakes winner who earned $435,681, and Ahead of Her Time, a six-time stakes winner who earned $340,100.

“That’s a blue-hen mare in a regional market,” Delahoussaye said.

Pickett on Saturday will break from post 4 under Evangeline leading rider Tim Thornton.

Others making up the field include Victory Trip, a 7 3/4-length debut winner June 13 at Evangeline, and Holy Sunrise, who rolled by eight lengths in his first start June 23 at Evangeline. Beto invades from Belmont Park, where he debuted June 17. He ran seventh in a maiden special weight on turf that went in a quick 1:08.80 for six furlongs.

In the fillies division of the Shine Young, much of the focus will be on Atchata, who won a maiden special weight on June 15 at Belmont. The start came over six furlongs on turf and she won by 1 1/2 lengths in a sharp 1:08.60.

Atchata is making her dirt debut. Her sire, Apriority, was a Grade 3 winner on dirt, while her half-sister Actif Storm won the Shine Young. Atchata will be first Lasix and will break from post 4. Diego Saenz has the mount for owners Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt and trainer Steve Asmussen.