Young mother Broussard on a roll at Evangeline

OPELOUSAS, La. – The weather has turned hot in southern Louisiana, and so has apprentice Ashley Broussard. The spunky 22-year-old visited the winner’s circle all four days last week, including a riding double Saturday.

Despite getting a late start to the meeting, Broussard sat in 12th place in the local standings with 13 wins heading into Wednesday’s card.

“Things are going well,” Broussard said this week. “Some doors are starting to open, and we are beginning to win some races. I’ve been fortunate to ride for a lot of different outfits.”

Although she was born and raised in nearby Lafayette, La., this is Broussard’s first season at Evangeline in a career that began with her first mount at Churchill Downs in the summer of 2013.

“I galloped for three years before I started riding,” Broussard said. “I started locally working for Ricky Courville. In addition to getting on horses in the mornings, he taught me a lot about the training side of things as well. I then went to work with the [Steve] Asmussen outfit and then with Kellyn Gorder in Kentucky. I really wanted to be prepared and ready before I started to ride.”

Broussard picked up her first winner later that summer at Ellis Park and then wintered at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where she booted home a dozen winners while competing in a deep jockey colony. She then moved to the Mid-Atlantic region, where she had a breakout season at Penn National, winning 43 times from 243 mounts.

Through it all, Broussard received encouragement and priceless advice from one of her biggest fans, Rosie Napravnik.

“Rosie was pretty much it,” Broussard said when asked who has had the most influence on her career.

Race riding is not the only thing that Broussard and Napravnik have in common. Each is now a young mother.

“I’ve got 4-month baby boy,” Broussard said proudly. “Rosie and I were about two months apart.”

Unlike Napravnik, who announced her retirement from the saddle at last year’s Breeders’ Cup, Broussard has elected to continue her riding career following her pregnancy. The time she spent away from the saddle having her child has allowed her to extend her apprenticeship beyond the normal time frame.

“I got five months from the time I started back this spring,” she said. “I’m either going to Fair Grounds or Delta in the fall after here. Right now, I’m leaning toward Delta since a lot of the trainers from here go there. I want to keep the momentum going.”

◗ Diego Saenz, who has won multiple riding titles at Evangeline Downs, is on the mend following surgery last Sunday to repair a broken leg. Saenz was injured Saturday night when his mount, Elegant Idea, bobbled and unseated Saenz in the fillies’ division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity. Saenz is expected to miss the remainder of the Evangeline stand, which concludes Aug. 29, and likely will return at Delta, which begins its season Oct. 16.