In all, there were 10 stakes totaling $1 million on Louisiana Premier Night. Three riders – Cody Meche, Colby Hernandez, and Robby Albarado – each had a pair of wins. Meche narrowly missed a third victory, falling a neck short with 54-1 longshot Cutie Sabrina in the $150,000 Distaff, which was won by Triple R Stable’s Zarb’s Ballerina.
Meche’s victories came aboard Doble Quebrado in the Prince and Cigar Starter, who powered home by 5 ¼ lengths in the Ladies Starter. Doble Quebrado, owned by Ruben Valdes, paid $19.20 to win, the biggest price of the evening.
Both of Albarado’s winning trips came aboard favorites. The jockey rode Jac Mac Stable’s Superior Storm to a three-length, gate-to-wire triumph in the seven-furlong, $125,000 Starlet, and guided Roger Smith’s 6-5 favorite Smitty’s Sunshine to an easy win in the Matron, a sprint for older fillies and mares.
The most exciting race of the evening was in the Gentlemen Starter, a 1 1/16-mile event for older horses on the main track. Simma Down, ridden by Hernandez, dueled with Joe’s Majesty in the stretch, with the two geldings crossing the wire together for a dead heat. Gerard Melancon was under Joe’s Majesty, who won for the second consecutive time since being claimed by trainer Glenn Delahoussaye for D.L.M. Racing.
Magic Sunset is a 5-year-old gelding by Mutakddim, out of the Unaccounted For mare Hidden Gem. Trained by James Hudson, he entered the 1 1/16-mile Championship off of a half-length defeat in the Jan. 5 Cypress Stakes at Delta Downs.
Bred by Jerry Adkins, Magic Sunset won for the sixth time in 26 lifetime starts and captured his first stakes. Coupled with stablemate Hallway, he went as the 4-5 favorite. Don Simington guided the chestnut gelding to victory.
Other winners on the evening were Choice of Dreams in the Bon Temps Starter, All Wired Up in the Sprint, and KAT Racing Stable’s Mt. Ree Tah, who scored by a neck under Hernandez in a three-way photo in the Cajun Starter.