Photos by Natalie Glyshaw – Hodges Photography

Toast To Patriot, Eyesa Flash Are Life of Mardi Gras Party

BOSSIER CITY, LA - March 8, 2011 - Toast To Patriot raced like he’ll enjoy added distance while winning the $264,876 Mardi Gras Futurity and Eyesa Flash blew up the track record while taking the $93,896 Mardi Gras Derby on a wet Fat Tuesday at Louisiana Downs.

Kris Locklear’s Toast To Patriot, a $14,000 purchase at the Louisiana QHBA Sale, got a sharp start from the fifth post position while Shez Bigtime Fast burst from the four hole to grab the early lead. The Game Patriot-sired Toast To Patriot then wore down a game Shez Bigtime Fast to win by increasing neck.

Bobby Ransom was aboard Toast To Patriot for the win in :15.311 for the 300 yards over a sealed track that was listed as muddy on the rainy afternoon.

F&K Partners’ Shes Bigtime Fast, a daughter of Bigtime Favorite, easily held on for second place by a length over Lyle Guillory’s Get First.

The Vann Haywood-trained Toast To Patriot was sent off as the 17-10 favorite after topping the 15 trials with the fastest-qualifying time of :15.620 on February 19. He pulled away to win his trial by nearly two lengths as the 19-10 favorite.

Runner-up Shez Bigtime Fast, trained by Cavazos, should step forward off her game effort under G.R. Carter Jr. She won her trial by one-and-one quarter lengths in :15.620.

The Joseph Mauncy-trained third-place finisher Get First, a son of Andalay Get, was a daylight trial winner in :15.740. John Hamilton was up for the trial and futurity.


In the Mardi Gras Derby, Mac Sumpter and Christopher Gautreux’s Eyesa Flash dominated his rivals while easily breaking the track record with his time of :19.400 for 400 yards. The previous standard was :19.626 set by Net Sum Gain in 2004.

A gelding by First To Shine from the Kevin Broussard stable, Eyesa Flash won by two-and-a-quarter lengths as the 2-1 choice under Donald Watson.

In the tight fight for second, Unrealistic prevailed by a head over fastest-qualifier Awholeseparategame, who defeated Eyesa Flash in their Mardi Gras Derby trial.

Eyesa Flash raced to his second stakes win and fourth win from 11 starts, all against state-bred company. Last spring at Delta Downs, Eyesa Flash won the $207,000 Laddie Futurity. In December, he was third behind champion Bigtime Favorite in the LQHBA Futurity at Evangeline Downs.

Second-place runner Unrealistic, a winner of six of 10 starts, won the LQHBA Invitational and the Bill Montgomery Stakes.

Third-place finisher Awholeseparate Game set the top time of :20.016 in the trials for his second career win.