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Alfonso Lujan wins his fifth
consecutive riding title at Evangeline Downs
Opelousas, Louisiana –Dec. 21, 2011 - Despite missing the last six nights of the
season due to a morning training incident, Alfonso Lujan notched his fifth
consecutive leading rider title at the 2011 Fall Quarter Horse season at
Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino. Lujan, a 33-year-old native of Odessa, TX
landed in the winner’s circle at an impressive rate of 21% and won a total of 53
races with purse earnings of $489,878 during the 46-night season while recording
his twelfth leading rider title in the state of Louisiana.
Lujan, who broke his ankle in that training incident and is expected to be out
of action for 3-4 more weeks, just held off the late charge of longtime rival
Danny Lavergne who won a total of six races during the final three nights of
racing to finish with 52 wins and $462,526 in purse earnings.
Veteran John Hamilton was next in the standings with 36 wins and purse earnings
of $465,601 with newcomer David Alvarez and J. R. Ramirez rounding out the top
five with 36 and 33 wins, respectively.
The leading trainer title also went right down to the wire as Kenny Roberts
swept past Vann Haywood and Kevin Broussard to record his sixth leading trainer
title in the past eight seasons here at Evangeline Downs. With a total of 31
wins from 127 starters, a win rate of better than 24%, Roberts’ starters amassed
more than $380,000 in total purse earnings. Haywood, last year’s leading
trainer, hit the winner’s circle at an amazing 31% with totals of 28 wins from
just 89 starters and total purse earnings of $269,825, while Broussard recorded
27 wins and his charges recorded $261,416 in total purse earnings.
Rapid Transit, who won all three of his starts including the LQHBA Futurity, a
Restricted Grade I event and the richest race of the year at Evangeline Downs,
was named the Horse-of-the-Meet. Owned by Pablo Gonzalez and trained by Miguel
Rodriguez, the Louisiana bred gelded son of Dashin Bye was ridden by Raul
Ramirez Jr.
Live racing will return to the Opelousas, La. oval on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
with the start of the Spring/Summer Thoroughbred racing season. The 84-night
meet will have a four-evening-a-week schedule, Wednesday-Saturday.
Full-card simulcasting will continue daily both at Evangeline Downs and at Races
and Aces, their Video Poker and Off-Track-Betting Parlors in South Central
Louisiana.
For more information contact Evangeline Downs at 337-594-3000.
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