A QUARTET OF STAKES RACES HIGHLIGHT FIRST FRIDAY CARD OF DELTA 24-25 SEASON

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs played host to a quartet of $100,000 stakes races on Friday night as the Vinton, Louisiana oval kicked off opening week of its 2024-25 Thoroughbred season. The program featured the Gold Cup, Magnolia, Louisiana Jewel and Louisiana Legacy, each restricted to Louisiana-bred horses.

Free Like A Girl wins the Magnolia Stakes at Delta Downs. 

The Magnolia field included the highest earner in Louisiana horse racing history, the ultra-talented Free Like a Girl, who was installed as the solid morning line favorite. The Chasey Deville-Pomier trainee was ridden by jockey Elio Barrera and carried a lifetime earnings mark of better than $1.91 million into the seven-furlong event for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Free Like a Girl broke sharply from post position nine before settling in behind the leading flight of horses headed by Miss Priority, who covered the opening quarter mile in a time of 23.60 seconds. When the half-mile mark was reached, Free Like a Girl began a sustained rally three wide and collared Miss Priority, who had stopped the timer in 48.05. At the head of the lane Free Like a Girl was all business as she easily drew clear to win by 2-3/4 lengths over Miss Priority. Six String wound up third, another four lengths behind the runner-up.

The final time for Free Like a Girl in the Magnolia was 1:26.07. Each race on the program was run over a fast racetrack.

The win by Free Like a Girl was her 19th from 43 career starts and her sixth from nine outs at Delta Downs. The $60,000 first-place paycheck she earned Friday raised her record-breaking bankroll to $1,979,978.

Free Like a girl is owned in partnership by Gerald Bruno, Jr., Chasey Deville Pomier and Jerry Caroom. She was bred in Louisiana by Kim Renee Stover and Lisa Osborne. She was purchased by her connections for the bargain basement price of just $5,500 as a yearling in 2020.

Sent to the gate at odds of 2-5, Free Like a Girl paid $2.20 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show. Miss Priority returned $17 to place and $10.20 to show. Six String was worth $4 to show.

Norman Stables, LLC (Robert A. Norman) sent out the undefeated filly Secret Faith in $100,000 Louisiana Jewel Stakes and although she had to overcome traffic trouble on the backstretch, she got clear late to score an impressive 6 ¼-length win under jockey C. J. McMahon. Warrior’s Justice was a clear second while 3-3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Quite the Catch.

Secret Faith adds a victory in the Louisiana Jewel Stakes to her record.

The Jewel was contested at seven furlongs and Secret Faith covered the distance in a time of 1:27.77.

Saddled by trainer Jayde Gelner, Secret Faith came into the Jewel off a romping win in the D. S. ‘Shine’ Young Futurity at Evangeline Downs. Prior to that she took a futurity at Lone Star Park and broke her maiden at Evangeline Downs while making her debut back in June. She is now four-for-four overall and on Friday she added another $60,000 to her bankroll, which now stands at $212,400.

Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock and Hume Wornall, Secret Faith is a 2-year-old filly by Aurelius Maximus, out of the Macho Uno mare St. Jean. She was purchased for $75,000 at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale in 2023.

Longshot Blue Cheese edges Myglorybee to win the Gold Cup at Delta Downs.

It was a 23-1 upset in the Gold Cup as Mark Necaise’s Blue Cheese got up late to win the seven-furlong race under jockey Joel Dominguez. The Sam Breaux trainee defeated Myglorybee by a neck while Tdzshininluckystar was third, another ¾ of a length behind the runner-up. Blue Cheese covered the distance in a time of 1:26.06.

Blue Cheese was making his 27th start in the Gold Cup and the tally marked his eighth trip to the winner’s circle. The $60,000 he earned in the race raised his bankroll to $325,680.

Bred in Louisiana by Markkim Farms, Blue Cheese is a 5-year-old chestnut gelding by Midshipman, out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemondropkisses.

The even-money favorite, Louisiana Jess, was a late scratch from the $100,000 Louisiana Legacy which left a short field of five horses for the seven-furlong test for 2-year-olds. Trainer Henry B. Johnson, Jr. saddled a pair of the runners in the race and would up finishing first with A Million Moons and second with Majority Opinion. Lone Warrior rounded out the top three finishers.

A Million Moons wins the Louisiana Legacy Stakes at Delta Downs.

A Million Moons was the pacesetter in the Legacy and reported home in a time of 1:27.44.

Jockey Jairo Rodriguez rode A Million Moons, who is owned by Hoffman Family Racing LLC.

A Million Moons has now won two races from four overall starts. He earned $60,000 for the Legacy win and now owns a bankroll of $94,200.

Bred in Louisiana by his owner, A Million Moons is a dark bay or brown gelding by Mo Tom, out of the Sky Mesa mare Gloamingsky.

For more information about the season, visit the track’s website at www.deltadowns.com/race