William Henry streaks into Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse Futurity

It took William Henry six starts to find the winner’s circle. Now, he’s made a habit of visiting the enclosure. William Henry brings a three-race win streak into Saturday’s $129,700 Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse Futurity, a 400-yard stakes that closes out the meet.

William Henry will face nine others, including a trio of starters from trainer Erika Huitron. Huitron is winning with 35 percent of her starters at Evangeline and will be represented by the Grade 3-placed Reba Reba Corona and the coupled entry of Cocopata and Lady Nayen.

William Henry set a track record for 400 yards in his last start, when he won his Dec. 1 trial for the Evangeline Futurity in 19.52 seconds. The mark was broken three days later by Jls Mr Bigtime, one of the nation’s top-ranked 2-year-olds, in the $526,593 Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders’ Association Breeders’ Futurity. Jls Mr Bigtime won that race in 19.41, one start after setting a track record in the race’s trials, romping in his heat in 19.58.

As for William Henry, he has developed rapidly over the past several months. He won a maiden race at Lone Star Park on Oct. 15 and then backed up the score with an allowance win at the track Oct. 29. William Henry then advanced to the Evangeline trials and won by a length over Reba Reba Corona.

Luis Ramirez has the mount on William Henry for Billy Dodd and trainer Benny Pennington.