Photos by Natalie Glyshaw / Hodges Photography

JLS Party Wagon Wins Definitive Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity Trial

BOSSIER CITY, LA - March 5, 2011 - Could John Soileau of JLS Speed Horse Ranch and trainer Darrel Soileau have a top futurity horses for the second straight year? They might.

Their JLS Party Wagon disposed of Eyesa Royalty in the final strides to win their trial and set the fastest-qualifying time over 74 juveniles in the dominant heat from eight trials to the $75,000-added Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity at Louisiana Downs on Saturday afternoon.

The trials were to the year’s first official open futurity were conducted on a sealed-sloppy racing surface. The finals are scheduled for March 19.

Last year, the Soileau’s campaigned homebred JLS Mr Bigtime to finish a very close second in the All American Futurity, overwhelmingly win the LQHBA Futurity and pick up the 2010 champion 2-year-old gelding award.

In the Harrah’s Futurity trials, the PYC Paint Your Wagon-sired JLS Party Wagon was timed in an impressive :15.272 for the 300 yards while Eyesa Royalty raced to the second-fastest time of :15.330 and third-place finisher Sizzlin Cartel posted a :15.376 time, the third-fastest mark.

Homebred JLS Party Wagon came into his career debut in the trials off two promising works for Soileau. He had the 15th-fastest drill out of 157 hopefuls on January 28 at Louisiana Downs and then stepped forward with a bullet, best-of-five work at Louisiana Downs on February 11 when he stepped off 220 yards in :12.30.
Jesus Huiton’s homebred Eyesa Royalty, a daughter of Royal Shakem, showed gameness by staying within a neck of JLS Party Wagon and should improve with experience. She came into her career debut with three consistent works for trainer Erika Huitron. In her final drill, she had the eighth-fastest time from 23 prospects at Retama Park on February 8.

Trial third-place finisher and third-fastest qualifier Sizzlin Cartel, a Corona For Me colt, gained interest late in the trial and threatened, finishing a neck behind Eyesa Royalty. He is owned and bred by J.E. Jumonville Jr. and trained by Justin Dehart.

The complete list of qualifiers and their times are JLS Party Wagon (:15.272), Eyesa Royalty (:15.330), Sizzlin Cartel (:15.376), Poker Face B (:15.435), Track Cide (:15.457), Secret Profit (:15.487), Nemo Time B (:15.509), Elenor (:15.557), Oak Tree Delight (:15.563) and Corona Mon Coeur (:15.565).