Delta Downs Offers Louisiana Premier Night Saturday

Costa Rising, a winner of eight of 13 starts last year, is the even-money favorite on the morning line for Saturday's $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile event highlights a $1 million series of 10 Premier Night stakes for Louisiana breds that will be contested for the fourth time.

The hottest horse in Louisiana right now, Costa Rising won the Delta Downs Gold Cup Nov. 18 before shifting to Fair Grounds to capture the Louisiana Classic Dec. 9, completing a season in which the 4-year-old Royal Strand colt earned more than $400,000 for owner Charles A. Castille Jr.

Joseph Stanley Boxie trains Costa Rising, who ran fourth in the 2006 Super Derby (gr. II).

Brittlyn Stable's Mean Butterbean, coming off a win in Delta Downs' Lookout Stakes on a sloppy track Dec. 29, is the 5-2 second choice for trainer Victor Arceneaux.

Also entered in the eight-horse field is the defending champion Nitro Chip.

The second richest race on LPN will be the $150,000 Distaff, which will feature older fillies and mares competing at a distance of one mile. The Distaff drew Raspberry Wine (3-1), who most recently won the $50,000 Camelia Stakes at Delta Downs on Jan. 13. Blueyed Lass is the 2-1 favorite in the field of eight for trainer Pat Herbert.

The $125,000 Louisiana Premier Night Prince will highlight 3-year-olds traveling seven furlongs. Tortuga Straits is the 4-5 selection among 10 entered.

The counterpart to the LPN Prince is the $125,000 Starlet, which will feature a field of 10 sophomore fillies squaring off at seven furlongs. Most of the attention in the Starlet should center around 5-2 choice Huckie, who proved best in this year’s $50,000 Crème de la Crème on Nov. 18.

$200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship Stakes (Race 8, 9:23 p.m.), 4 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight
1. Diggy Fresh (LA), Lonnie Meche, 116
2. Tommy's Turn (LA), Donnie J. Meche, 116
3. Mean Butterbean (LA), Robby Albarado, 116
4. Costa Rising (LA), Mario J. Reyes, 123
5. Nitro Chip (LA), Steve J. Bourque, 116
6. Perfect Harmony (LA), Kerwin D. Clark, 118
7. Badtotheboneandrew (LA), Jose Riquelme, 116
8. Willtosucceed (LA), Elvis J. Perrodin, 116