Tortuga Straits wires Lafayette

Tortuga Straits ($3.20) kept his career record perfect, winning the $100,000 Lafayette Stakes in front-running fashion at Evangeline Downs. Sentry lodged a bid turning into the stretch of the closing-night feature for 2-year-olds before settling for second. L'Grande d'Oro also loomed prominently exiting the turn but flattened out and finished third.

The win was Tortuga Straits's third in as many starts and his second in stakes company. A son of Gold Tribute who is trained by Ralph Irwin, he ran the six furlongs in 1:10.86 over a fast track under Luis Quinonez. He has now earned $148,000 for owner Karla Balensiefen.