Stakes Tripleheader at Delta

More than $150,000 in purses awarded in three stakes events at Louisiana track.

May 26, 2012

Delta Downs presented a trio of stakes events on Friday night with the $25,450 Develop A Plan Stakes (G3), the $52,550 Old South Derby and the $81,002 Old South Futurity.

In the richest of the three races, Santiago Castillo’s RDD Dashin Effort, a Louisiana-bred gelding by Dashin Bye, got up to win by a head as the 2-1 favorite. Arturo Carrillo piloted the winner for trainer Jonathan Castaneda and stopped the timer at :16.564 for 330 yards.

This marked the third consecutive win for RDD Dashin Effort, who broke his maiden at Sam Houston Race Park and then won his Old South trial with the eighth-fastest qualifying time. Richard Dale Domingue bred the gelding out of the unraced Streakin Effort mare Miss Native Effort. RDD Dashin Effort earned $40,501 for the win.

Oscar Rohne’s Jet Black Legend, a two-time winner by Game Patriot, had an early lead and held on for second. Chickie Kool crossed the wire third for owner Jose Socorro Vera Jr.

In the Old South Derby, Triple Vodka, the second favorite at odds of 3-1, opened up a big early advantage and held on to prevail by a neck in :19.588 for 400 yards. Raul Ramirez Jr. rode the Tres Seis colt for owner Renee Spiller and trainer Heath Taylor.

The victory improved Triple Vodka’s overall record to five wins in six outings with a bankroll of $213,870. The Texas-bred finished his 2-year-old campaign with an undefeated record, including a win in the TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2) at Retama Park. He suffered his first career loss in his 3-year-old debut with a third-place run in a Sam Houston Derby (G3) trial, and then he crossed the wire second in his Old South trial before being elevated to first after the original winner was disqualified for interference.

Triple Vodka, who was bred by K.A. Norris and Peters Racing, is the first foal out of the Stoli mare Newport Lily. The mare's second foal is Hiclass Vodka, a Hiclass La Jolla colt who qualified to this year’s Oklahoma Futurity (G2).

Antonio Carrizales’ Jess Fly With Me, the even-money favorite with three wins in four prior starts on the year, finished a clear second. Sizzlin Cartel, the winner of last year’s Firecracker Futurity (G2) at Delta, took third for owner J.E. Jumonville Jr.

In the lone graded stakes on the card, First Klas Fred scored a 9-1 upset in the 350-yard event for older horses and clocked the distance in :17.380 under John Hamilton. The Texas-bred gelding runs for owners Denis and Julie Schoenhofer and trainer Heath Taylor, who scored two stakes wins on the night.

This marked the fourth career stakes win for the 5-year-old First Klas Fred, whose biggest victory came in the 2009 Ruidoso Futurity (G1). All told, the Fredericksburg gelding, who was bred by James and Marilyn Helzer, has won six of 22 starts with earnings of $556,394.

Malinche Cattle Co.’s Charal Kid, the 2-1 favorite and the winner of the last two renewals of the Develop A Plan Stakes, put in a game effort but came up short by a nose. Kool Country Man, who pulled off a 24-1 upset in the Bank of America Sam Houston Championship Challenge (G1) in his last start, rallied to take third for owner Jose Socorro Vera Jr.