Woodley picks up first stakes win aboard X Clown in Delta Prince

X Clown became a stakes winner Saturday night, when he closed for a three-quarter-length win over pacesetter Elusive d’Oro in the $50,000 Evangeline Downs Prince. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Free Indeed in third.

The Prince, for 2-year-olds at six furlongs, was the final stakes of the Evangeline Downs meet that closes Thursday.

X Clown ($8.20) trailed early as Elusive d’Oro set pressured fractions of 22.29 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.75 for the half-mile. X Clown advanced, picking off rivals and going on to cover the distance on a track rated good in 1:11.73.

“When I asked him to run, he just kicked in,” jockey Tyler Woodley said on the simulcast feed from Evangeline.

It was the first career stakes win for the rider.

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Woodley was aboard for trainer Jerry Delhomme. X Clown is a son of Jimmy Creed who races for Set-Hut LLC headed by former professional football player Jake Delhomme. He came into the Evangeline Prince off a runner-up finish in the $75,000 colts and geldings division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Memorial at Evangeline.

Jake Delhomme said on the simulcast feed that X Clown could turn up next at Delta Downs.

The horse has now won 2 of 3 starts for earnings of $59,400.