Opelousas, Louisiana - Evangeline Downs will offer horsemen a total of twenty-two stakes worth a record $1.785 million during the 2007 Spring/Summer meeting that begins on Wednesday, April 4.  The 89-day season will feature a four evening a week schedule, Wednesday-Saturday thru the traditional closing night of the season, Monday, September 3, Labor Day as well as a new first post time of 6:20 p.m. central.

The stakes schedule features a total of eleven events worth six-figures, up from last year’s total of five, including the Evangeline Mile on August 11, which is now worth $200,000, an increase of $50,000 from last year. State bred horses are in the spotlight on Louisiana Legends Night which features eleven black type events worth more than $885,000 on the program.

The “Mile” for three-year-olds and up, has annually attracted some of the best handicap horses in the mid- and southwest and with the increased purse, we expect that trend to continue and are optimistic that the “Mile” will soon become the first Graded Thoroughbred Stakes event in our long and storied history, said Jason Boulet, racing secretary at Evangeline Downs.

New to the lineup this season is a filly division of the “Shine” and the Oak Hall at seven furlongs for three-year-olds and up on Saturday, July 21.  Boulet stated “the addition of the seven furlong chute last summer has been well received by both horsemen and our fans and should be a solid addition to our stakes lineup.”

The traditional closing night feature, the Lafayette Stakes, will once again offer a six-figure purse and complete the $500,000 series for two-year-olds which includes both divisions of the “Shine” as well as the two divisions of the John Franks Memorial Sales Stakes. The two-year-old series gets under way on Louisiana Legends Night with the two $100,000 D.S. “Shine” Young Memorial events each at five furlongs, with the two $100,000 divisions of the John Franks Memorial Sales Stakes (one for fillies, one for colts & geldings) taking place five weeks later on the first weekend of August at the distance of 5 π furlongs. Then 30 days later the third and final leg of the series, the $100,000 Lafayette Stakes at six furlongs, brings to a close the spring/summer meet.

Evangeline Downs’ Executive Director of Racing David A. Yount stated “we are proud to offer this beefed up and expanded stakes schedule to our horsemen for our 42nd consecutive season in South-central Louisiana.”

The 2007 spring/summer meet will begin on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 and run thru the traditional closing night, Monday, September 3, 2007 Labor Day.

2007 spring/summer stakes schedule

April 7.	Inaugural	3yo	6f	$50,000
April 14.	Hallowed Dreams	3yof	5 1/2f	$50,000
April 21.	John Henry	3 & up	1 mile	$50,000
May 19.	Tellike	3 & upf/m	6f	$50,000
June 2.	Need for Speed	3 & up	5f	$50,000

LOUISIANA LEGENDS NIGHT- June 30.

Mervin Muniz Starter	3&up	1m 70yds	$45,000
Gene Norman Starter	3&upf/m	5f	$45,000
Attaway Darbonne Starter	3&upf/m	5f	$45,000
B.B “Sixty” Rayburn 3yo	3yo	1 mile	$75,000
Frank A. “Buddy” Abadie	3yo	1 mile	$75,000
Pola Benoit	4yo&up	1 1/6 mile	$100,000
J. Archie Sebastien	4yo&upf/m	1m 70yds	$100,000
Junius Delahoussaye	3yo&up	5 1/2f	$100,000
Pierre Leblanc	3yo&upf/m	5 1/2f	$100,000
D.S. “Shine” Young	2yo	5 f	$100,000
D.S. “Shine” Young (filly)	2yof	5 f	$100,000

LOUISIANA LEGENDS NIGHT- June 30.

July 21.	Oak Hall	3yo&up	7f	$50,000
Aug 3.	John Frank Sales (filly)	2yof	6f	$100,000
Aug 4.	John Frank Sales (c&g)	2yo	6f	$100,000
Aug 11.	Evangeline Mile	3&up	1 mile	$200,000
Sept 1.	Matron	3&upf/m	1 mile	$100,000
Sept 3.	Lafavette	2yo	6f	$100,000

For more information contact Evangeline Downs at 337-594-3000.