Rdd Lajollanfastdash favored in $1 million LQHBA Futurity

Evangeline Downs will be the site of the richest program of Quarter Horse racing in Louisiana, when it puts on three stakes Saturday night, led by the $1 million LQHBA Breeders Futurity. The race has drawn a standout in Rdd Lajollanfastdash, who attempts to take down his third stakes race of the year after setting the fastest qualifying time for the finale.

The LQHBA Breeders Futurity is one of two million-dollar races being run Saturday in Louisiana. Evangeline’s sister track, the Boyd Gaming-owned Delta Downs, puts on its Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot for Thoroughbreds. The card at Evangeline also includes the $264,398 LQHBA Breeders Derby, led by fastest qualifier Gone Cartel.

The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association will mark its 50th anniversary with a giant cake for patrons at Evangeline, and it also plans to award $11,000 in college scholarships through drawings during the card.

During the 15 trials for the LQHBA Breeders Futurity on Oct. 28, Rdd Lajollanfastdash covered 400 yards in 19.53 seconds. He won by a length in the trial, which also ended up producing the second- and third-fastest qualifiers, Fired Up Perry and Louisiana Jewels.

Rdd Lajollanfastdash is looking to add to his wins in the $273,000 Mardi Gras Futurity in March at Louisiana Downs and the $323,000 LQHBA Sale Futurity in September at Fair Grounds. Raul Ramirez Jr. has ridden the horse throughout his 6-for-7 career and will again be aboard from post 2.

“He does not act like a 2-year-old,” Ramirez told the LQHBA. “His maturity and his professionalism is much more like a 4-year-old racehorse. Going into his trial, I knew I was on the best Louisiana-bred.”

Ramirez has the frame of reference to make such a statement as he has won the last two runnings of the LQHBA Breeders Futurity.

Jose Sanchez trains Rdd Lajollanfastdash, who was a $10,000 yearling purchase by owner Miguel Aguilar. The horse has since earned $290,677. Rdd Lajollanfastdash was bred by Richard Domingue.

◗ The LQHBA will give out $2 betting vouchers while supplies last Saturday in conjunction with a seminar led by American Quarter Horse Association representative Martha Claussen and Evangeline announcer Michael Chamberlain.