Carlos Lozada who won his first title here in 2019, clinched top honors once again. He has been dominant throughout the meet, topping a very competitive jockey colony and holding off 2020 leading rider Joel Dominguez by four wins.

The 36-year-old native of Puerto Rico began riding in the United States in 2007 after attending Puerto Rico's Escuela Vocational Hipica, the famed jockey school with a noted list of riders, including Irad Ortiz, Jr, Jose Ortiz as well as 2018 Louisiana Downs top-ranked rider, Emanuel Nieves.

Lozada, won races for a variety of trainers including Joey Foster, Karl Broberg, Tim Dixon, Al Cates and Justin Jeansonne. He was named on 391 mounts, with a record of 84 wins, 76 seconds, 60 thirds and purses of $1,053,720.

Winning his second leading rider title Louisiana Downs meant a great deal to the devoted family man, supported by his wife, Eileen Quinones and their three sons: Anthony, who celebrated his 17th birthday on September 21; Jean Carlos and Jandriel.

“I thank my family, my agent Ronald Ardoin and each of the owners and trainers who supported me this season,” said Lozada. “Louisiana Downs has been a very good track for me; I really enjoy the daytime schedule!”

Lozada plans to winter in Tampa and ride next at Tampa Bay Downs before returning to Louisiana Downs next May.

Joel Dominguez finished second with 80 trips to the winner's circle, edging Lozada slightly in purses, with mounts earning $1,057,585. Emanuel Nieves finished the meet well, winning 72 races and Juan P. Vargas was fourth in the standings with 70 trips to the winner's circle.

In his second year of running a barn at Louisiana Downs, Shane Wilson topped his fellow conditioners with 55 victories.

The Haughton, Louisiana resident won 32 races last year and credited David Heitzmann, Louisiana Downs Director of Racing, for initiating a plan for the 2020 live racing season before any other racetrack.

“David helped the horsemen with the uncertainty of COVID-19 last year,” said Wilson. “Louisiana Downs has great racing surfaces and the location works for shipping to Dallas and Hot Springs.”

His success in 2020 propelled Wilson to formulate a plan for the 2021 live racing season.

“Returning this year, I claimed horses for my leading client, Wayne T. Davis and several other owners. We had a plan and it came together very well.”

His top claimer is Emerald Forest who Wilson convinced Davis to take from Joe Sharp for $15,000 last February at Fair Grounds. It was one of Wilson's toughest conversations as Davis countered the suggestion with: “You want me to spend $15,000 on a horse that lost by 31 lengths?”

Wilson was strongly convinced that the 3-year-old gelding by Gemologist was not suited for the turf and would fare better on the main track.

And boy, was he right! He won a maiden special weight on April 6, and captured three of his four starts at Louisiana Downs. On July 13, he set a new seven-furlong track record of 1:21.07, drawing off to a ten-length victory under Jose Guerrero.

“We're going to try the big boys at Churchill Downs next,” said Wilson.

Both Guerrero and Alexander Castillo have ridden well for Wilson this season at Louisiana Downs.

“I took a long look at the jockey colony and liked the fact that both Alexander Castillo and Jose Guerrero finished in the top five,” he explained. “These guys try hard on each mount and won some races at big prices. I worked with their agent, Steve Melancon, and decided to give them a chance. They have worked hard for us and I believe in loyalty.”

Wilson played football and basketball in high school and college and developed a fierce competitive drive, which fuels him to this day.

“I wasn't the best athlete, but beat better by being prepared,” he said. “I never accepted I was going to lose until the game was over!”

It's a family affair at the Wilson barn, with his wife Becky and younger son, Connor, sharing in the key duties.

“I don't hunt, fish or play golf,” stated Wilson. “It's all about the horses and thankfully, Becky, Connor and my oldest son, Peyton, understand that!”

Joey Foster, who has won the trainer title three times, finished second with 40 wins. Joe Duhon followed with 33 victories and Karl Broberg rounded out the top four with 30 wins.

The leading owner of the meet is Wayne T. Davis who topped the standings with 25 victories. The 92-year-old Louisiana businessman has been an owner for over 20 years and he and Wilson have teamed with a wide range of Thoroughbreds; their most successful to date is Grade 3 winner Mocito Rojo.

End Zone Athletics, Inc., who took the owner title in 2019 and 2020, finished second. The highly successful partnership of Karl Broberg and Matt Johanson won 20 races this meet. Dream Walkin Farms, Inc. was third in the standings with 18 wins and Justin Jeansonne had 11 victories to finish fourth.

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“I thank my family, my agent Ronald Ardoin, and each of the owners and trainers who supported me this season,” said Lozada. “Louisiana Downs has been a very good track for me.”

Shane Wilson, in just his second year with a barn at Louisiana Downs, was named leading trainer with 55 visits to the winner's circle. Wayne T. Davis–at age 92–took down the leading owner title with 25 wins.

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“Many horsemen struggled last year during the (COVID-19) pandemic,” explained Wilson. “Sitting out for six months was a hardship on trainers, but I'm blessed with great clients who supported us. Thankfully, we were able to keep our whole stable intact.”

Several clients, including Wayne T. Davis, Joe Hackler and David Fontenot have been with Wilson for over 14 years.

“I began training in 1997 and am fortunate to have some loyal owners who trust me and love to see their horses run,” he added. “From the stakes company as well as the claiming level, with the support of my owners, we continue to be competitive.”

This is the second year in a row that Wilson set up shop at the Bossier City racetrack. He does not hesitate when asked about his allegiance to Louisiana Downs.

“David Heitzmann (Louisiana Downs Director of Racing) communicated with the horsemen through the shutdown in 2020,” said Wilson. “He was the first to set a plan and give us a projected opening date.”

Louisiana Downs was able to open their 84-day meet on its regular (Kentucky Derby) opening date this year, and Wilson has been pleased with way the season has progressed.

“The track surfaces are very good, and they have made some improvements to the paddock and other areas of the complex. Having Camel and Ostrich Racing (on May 30) and these Family Sundays has brought in new fans. Promotions are part of it, but to me, they are working hard to sell horseracing as their core product.”

Wilson worked summers at Harrah's Louisiana Downs, starting when he was 15 mucking stalls and hot walking for trainer Jack Van Berg. His brief foray to college did not last as he realized that he wanted to pursue a career in racing. He served as assistant to Sam David for seven years before going out on his own.

Aside from his racing ties, Wilson has another notable connection to Harrah's Louisiana Downs. He met his wife, Becky, the daughter of horseman Jim O'Brien, here. The couple has two sons. Peyton is 20 years-old and his brother, Connor, 17, both help their dad out when they are not in school.

His stable star is the multiple-stakes winning Mocito Rojo, a 7-year-old son of Mutadda. Wilson claimed the Kentucky-bred for owner Wayne T. Davis for $10,000 in a December 2016 maiden race at Delta Downs. He has amassed a record of 20 wins from 37 starts and earnings of $882,863. In 2019, Mocito Rojo won the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park and the Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. He has won back-to-back races this meet at Louisiana Downs.

“He's an amazing animal,” said Wilson. “I like to say he keeps winning despite his trainer.”

But the truth is Wilson has not shied away from changing things up for the intrepid runner.

“He got a little lackluster in his route races, so I shortened him to six furlongs this year (on May 18),” said Wilson.

He won that sprint in 1:09.78 and returned on June 6, taking on four rivals in a seven furlong allowance optional claimer, in which he won in 1:21.70. The speedy Kentucky-bred just missed breaking the track record of 1:21.60 set on July 4, 1984.

“I told (jockey) Jose Guerrero to really let him go,” recalled Wilson. “I felt adding a track-record setting performance might help his stud career. When Jose saw the final time, he looked at me and said, “I thought you were kidding!'”

Track record aside, Wilson has true admiration for Mocito Rojo, who will hopefully surpass the million dollar earnings mark in his career.

“I have watched every one of his 37 races,” admitted Wilson. “He was so little and skinny as a 3-year-old. This $10,000 claimer has taken us places we've never gone!”

Wilson will send both Mocito Rojo and 3-year-old Rightandjust to the Iowa Festival of Racing Friday, July 2 and Saturday, July 3 at Prairie Meadows. Rojo is nominated to the $100,000 Iowa Sprint and Rightandjust, a colt by Awesome Again, also owned by Davis, will point to the $250,000 Iowa Derby.

Wilson turned 50 this year and came to an interesting revelation on his training objectives.

“When I was younger, it was all about winning,” he stated. “Now I enjoy the mornings when I can watch them train and really learn more about each of their personalities. Figuring out the puzzle for each horse at different levels keeps it fun!”

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Wilson, a native of Haughton, La., has been working at the race track since he was a teenager and learned his trade under Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg, as well as highly successful veterans Bobby Barnett and Sam David. He went out his own in 1998, won his first race that October at Sam Houston when Fullasatick won the Jiffy Lube Stakes, and also has been a mainstay on the Louisiana circuit ever since. Wherever he's gone, Wilson has never forgotten the one piece of advice that stands out above all the rest.

“I was lucky to learn from a lot of those guys coming up but the thing I really remember, more than anything, is the care of the horses,” Wilson said. “The horse comes first. Everybody that I worked for always said that if they need the time, you stop and give them the time. They can come back later and reward you.”

Wilson isn't new to the Fair Grounds backstretch, as he was prominent here in the early 2000s, winning nine races in 2001-02. Shortly after he shifted his winter base primarily to Delta Downs, while only occasionally shipping in locally. Wilson made small inroads last year, winning two races from 19 starters, but got the full allotment of 44 stalls this year, and has been a daily presence at the entry box from Opening Day.

“We had been going to Delta and I have a lot of clients that like to claim and we decided to come here this year because there is a better quality of horses,” Wilson said. “We've been active in the claiming ranks. We knew we had some horses that didn't fit, so we wanted to upgrade, and that's what we've been doing.”

Wilson made national headlines in 2019 when Mocito Rojo, a horse he claimed for $10,000 for owner Wayne T. Davis out of a debut win at Delta in 2016, won the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star Park and Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs. The veteran has since won 17 races and over $800,000 for his new connections, who could be on to another big score with Rightandjust, a horse they claimed for $50,000 out of a local maiden-claimer in December. The 3-year-old son of Awesome Again won a salty optional-claimer in convincing fashion for his new connections here Jan. 16 and looms an upset candidate in the Feb. 13 Risen Star (G2), the last prep for the March 20 TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2).

Both Mocito Rojo and Rightandjust fit the profile that Wilson looks for in a young horse at the claiming box.

“With both horses, we were looking for a young horse with a pedigree to stretch out and run long,” Wilson said. “With Rightandjust, we were hoping he was a young horse who could mature and turn into something like Mocito Rojo did. He's still progressing and moving forward and we're looking forward to the Risen Star.”

Horses like Mocito Rojo and Rightandjust have given Wilson a chance to run against some of the best horses and trainers in the sport. With conditioners like Brad Cox, Steve Asmussen, and Tom Amoss, among others, on the backstretch, finding wins in the bigger races isn't easy. Wilson looks forward to the challenge and knows it's a big feather in his cap to be able to run and compete in spots like the Risen Star.

“It feels good for the barn and the clients to feel like we belong against the best here,” Wilson said. “They want to feel like we can run against those barns. You know where you fit and where you don't. And whenever we do have one that we feel can compete in the bigger races, it's fun to go against them.”

Wilson started the meet on a winning note—literally—as he teamed with jockey Jack Gilligan to win the opener on the November 26 card, the first of five races the duo won together locally before the end of the year. Gilligan went down with a broken collarbone January 10 and, without his go-to rider, Wilson has struggled to find the winner's circle. The barn has gone just 1-for-21 since Gilligan has been on the mend, with Rightandjust as the only winner. Needless to say, Wilson is looking forward to Gilligan's return next month.

“It hurt me when I lost Jack,” Wilson said. “He got down here and started working horses for us and that had a lot to do with our fast start. He breezed a lot of those horses and he knew them. He's a super good rider and he'll listen. I lost him at the start of this month and we've had seconds and thirds and a lot of it is guys getting on horses that they had never been on before.”

Gilligan has felt at home riding for Wilson, as the pair have struck a winning partnership. Be it a $5,000 state-bred claimer, or an improving 3-year-old pointing to a grade 2 Kentucky Derby prep, Gilligan has been impressed with Wilson's ability to have a blinkers-on approach to each horse.

“He's able to cater to each horse individually and get every last ounce he can out of each one,” Gilligan said. “That's hard to do with over 40 horses. He doesn't always have the most talented horses but he's done a great job with what he has, getting the best out of them. As a trainer, he's always has the horses feeling great, looking great, and he listens to feedback, which I think is one of my best traits as a rider.”

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Rightandjust isn't your typical blueblooded Fair Grounds 3-year-old. He wasn't a precocious 2-year-old who came to the backstretch this winter with stakes plans already penciled in at 3. Though he may still well get there, the route to any potential glory is more the road less traveled.

Wilson and owner Wayne T. Davis claimed Rightandjust from trainer Louie Roussel III for $50,000 out of his gate-to-wire 5 ½-length maiden claiming win at Fair Grounds December 18. The son of Awesome Again had run a better-than-it-looked fourth sprinting in a local MSW on debut in November, but looked like a new horse stretching out. Wilson, who teamed with Davis to win a pair of graded stakes with Mocito Rojo—a horse they claimed for $10,000—had a game plan in mind when the meet opened and Rightandjust, a son of Awesome Again, fit the bill.

“We thought coming to Fair Grounds there would be some young, good quality horses that we could get to stretch out,” Wilson said. “Obviously the owner claimed Mocito Rojo awhile back for 10k to win a couple of graded races so we wanted to try and do that again with a couple of young horses. With Rightandjust being an Awesome Again and the mare by Tiznow, we thought he was a young horse with a good race and he finished up strong and should get better going two turns so we took a shot.”

Based on pedigree and what he's displayed in his races so far, Wilson might be right. Rightandjust's dam Pussyfoot was winless from just one start, but her half sibling Morning Line earned $1.2 million in his career and was a productive stallion in his second career until his death in 2019. He is also a half-brother to the promising 4-year-old Tapit colt Guided Missile.

Rightandjust broke through in a big way in his MCL win but showed no ill effects from such a strong race. It was readily apparent that Wilson had a rapidly improving soon-to-be 3-year-old on his hands, who still had plenty of untapped potential.

“We got him back the night I claimed him and he cleaned up everything I fed him and he licked the bowl,” Wilson said. “He was on his hind legs when we hand-walked him down the shedrow the next morning. It seemed like he did what he did easily and we came back and worked him and he worked great and then he had a bullet best-of-100 work. (Jockey) Jack Gilligan was the one breezing him and he said 'Shane, this horse can really run and he has a bunch of gears he doesn't even know he's got yet.'”

Rightandjust entered the optional-claimer as a bit of a rank outsider, at least judging by the 22-1 price on the toteboard. In a race that saw entries from trainers named Asmussen, Cox, Stidham, and Walsh, and owners like Godolphin, Brereton C. Jones, and Three Chimneys Farm, it was no real surprise that Wilson, Davis, and Rightandjust were overlooked. Facing much tougher competition, he went to the front again, set a measured pace, and streaked home an easy three-length winner. An unknown outsider before the race, Rightandjust had clearly arrived, which wasn't a complete shock to his trainer.

“We were pretty confident but it came up tough,” Wilson said. “A few were stretching out for the first time but we knew he could run 1 1/16 miles over the Fair Grounds. I was really surprised he was such a big price even though the other horses were coming from Churchill Downs and Keeneland and had great connections.”

Rightandjust looks like a vintage 3-year-old that is getting better by the day and his blend of speed and stamina can take a horse a long way during the first half of their sophomore year. Wilson is taking the 'If it's not broke don't fix it' route to the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star, which could prove problematic to some of his more precocious rivals.

“He looks like when he gets up there (on the lead) he goes to flicking his ears around and he's comfortable with that pace,” Wilson said. “It looks like he had plenty in the tank (in his win) and he'll go another sixteenth of a mile. As long as everything is good—and he came back great and he's galloping strong—we're going to breeze him 14 days out and then 7 days out and if everything is like it is now that (the Risen Star) is where we're going to go.”

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It is the first time in eight years that the Haughton, La. native has shifted his base to Shreveport. There was no hesitation when he was asked about returning for the meet.

“We were all in limbo several months ago,” said Wilson describing the impact of COVID-19 on the resumption of racing in Louisiana. “However (Director of Racing) David Heitzmann was the first to step up with a plan. We knew the early May date was not possible, but David set June 6 as the opening date at Louisiana Downs and quickly got the condition book posted.”

From that point, Wilson set his training schedule and “was ready to roll”.

“The main track is amazing,” said Wilson. “We arrived with some sore horses and they are now sound. Billy does an outstanding job.”

So far, it has worked out well for Wilson and his main owner, Wayne T. Davis. They are in second-place in the trainer and owner standings, trailing Karl Broberg and End Zone Athletics, Inc.

Wilson, 49, worked summers at Harrah's Louisiana Downs, starting when he was 15. He mucked stalls and hot walked for trainer Jack Van Berg. His brief foray to college did not last as he realized that he wanted to pursue a career in racing. He served as assistant to Sam David for seven years before going out on his own in 1998.

His top horse is the multiple-stakes winning Mocito Rojo, a 6-year-old son of Mutadda. Wilson claimed the Kentucky-bred for owner Wayne T. Davis for $10,000 in a December 2016 maiden race at Delta Downs. The six-time stakes winner has amassed a record of 17 wins from 30 starts and earnings of $818,063. In 2019, Mocito Rojo won the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park and the Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. He returned to the Grand Prairie, Texas racetrack on Sunday, June 28, finishing fifth in the $75,000 Lone Star Mile.

“He never likes dirt in his face and came back covered by a half of an inch of sand,” said Wilson. “It would have been nice to win as it was my owner's 91st birthday, but the horse cooled out fine and we made it back to Louisiana Downs late Sunday night.”

Davis, who resides in Plain Dealing, La., a small town in Bossier Parrish, is appreciative of the care Wilson gives each of his horses. His winners this meet at Harrah's Louisiana Downs include Green Monster; Cap Roc Miner, Artic Peace, Lucky Dare and most recently, a five-length score by Luvmewhenimgone.

Another key member of the Wilson team is veteran jockey Filimon Rodriguez, who is a full-time employee. The 53-year-old has ridden on the Texas and Louisiana circuits for three decades. He gallops the 30 head of Wilson's stabled at Louisiana Downs and rides the majority of the Wilson trainees in Shreveport.

Aside from his racing ties, Wilson has another notable connection to Harrah's Louisiana Downs. He met his wife, Becky, the daughter of horseman Jim O'Brien, here. The couple has two sons. Peyton is 19 years-old and his brother, Connor, 16, have both been helping their dad this summer.

“It's a tough business,” stated Wilson. “You have to make some very difficult decisions. I started the same time as some very successful horsemen, including my good friend, Bret Calhoun. To reach a really high level, you have to travel, and I chose to stay in Louisiana to be closer to my family.”

He will ship select horses to Evangeline Downs this summer but is more than content to be stabled at Harrah's Louisiana Downs.

“They showed their commitment to the horsemen,” he said. “So, I am happy to run here and support their meet.”

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