Diego Saenz took charge of the jockey standings with a five-win night on the first Friday of the Evangeline Downs meet and never looked back. Finishing off the season with a two-bagger, Saenz finished the season with 116 victories from 403 mounts, a 29 percent winning clip. With 88 runner ups and 58 show placings, Saenz hit the board with 65 percent of his mounts and brought in $1,872,243 in earnings.
Three other riders brought in over one million dollars for their connections with their mounts. Tim Thornton was second behind Saenz with $1,611,046, followed by Pedro Cotto, Jr. with $1,340,315 and Joe Stokes with $1,235,400.
The complete top 10 jockeys for the 2021 meet were: Diego Saenz (116 wins), Tim Thornton (100), Pedro Cotto, Jr. (81), Joe Stokes (66), Roberto Morales (38), Kevin Smith (38), Gerard Melancon (37), Ashley Broussard (34), Casey Fusilier (34) and Antonio Quiles (26).
The long reign of Karl Broberg as the top trainer at Evangeline Downs came to an end on Saturday night. Capping off the season with three victories on the closing night card, Eduardo Ramirez drew off to capture his first training title. Ramirez, a former assistant in the Broberg brigade, saddled 44 winners on the season. Winning at a 31 percent clip, Ramirez finished the season five wins ahead of Broberg. The Ramirez barn tallied $541,682 in purse winnings for the meet. Karl Broberg runners did lead in that category, bringing in $624,546 for the meet.
The complete top 10 in the trainer standings were: Eduardo Ramirez (44 wins), Karl Broberg (39), Juan Larrosa (33), Scott Gelner (30), Allen Landry (26), Keith Bourgeois (23), Sam Breaux (21), Dale White, Sr. (20), Rylee Grudzien (19) and Ron Faucheux (18). Of the trainers in the top ten, Bourgeois runners had the highest strike rates with 34 percent winners and 72 percent on the board from his 68 total starters.
Jimmy Johnson's Red Rose Racing fended off the challenge of End Zone Athletics, Inc. to bring home the title in the owner's race. Red Rose Racing starters won 30 races from 88 starts, while finishing second 10 times and third 10 times, for a 34 percent winning percentage and 57 percent in the money. End Zone Athletics, Inc. was active at the entry box with a meet leading 144 starters that tallied a second-best 28 winners. The End Zone Athletics, Inc. runners led in money won with $434,936 in earnings followed by Joe Alfredo Castillo with $361,925 and Red Rose Racing with $300,307.
The complete top 10 in the owner standing were: Red Rose Racing (30 wins), End Zone Athletics, Inc. (28), Joe Alfredo Castillo (19), Dale White, Sr. (16), Rylee Grudzien (15), Elite Thoroughbred Racing, LLC (12), Adriel Gonzalez (10), Whispering Oaks Farm, LLC (8), and a tie for ninth between George Santis and Sandy Badeaux with 7 wins apiece.
Evangeline Downs will be dark for a couple of weeks. Live racing resumes with the start of the American Quarter Horse meet on Wednesday, October 6. Post time for the 53-day season will be at 5:35pm Central Time.
For more information on Evangeline Downs, visit the track's website at www.evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs information can also be found on Twitter @EVDracing and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.
Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Evangeline Downs is located in Opelousas, Louisiana, off I-49 on Cresswell Lane at Exit 18.
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