Opelousas, Louisiana :: Plaid ($5.00) gunned down Space Cruise in the final yards to win the $75,000 Matron Handicap for fillies & mares at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino on Saturday evening [ picture ].

The victory was her fifth win of the year and second in a stakes event in seven starts. Plaid is owned by J Kirk Robison and is trained by Scott Blasi.

Space Cruise, second in the Tellike Stakes this spring at Evangeline, rallied to the front at the quarter pole, dug in gamely but was unable to hold off the late charge of the winner. Baileys Affair rallied from far back to finish third, six lengths behind the top two. Cutie Sabrina who led thru fractions of 23 4/5, 47 4/5, and 1:12 3/5, weakened to finish fourth, with Calista Ridge checking in fifth.

Winning jockey Donnie Meche was able to save ground with the five-year-old daughter of Deputy Commander at the back of the leading group, at the top of the stretch Meche swung her out for running room and she closed resolutely to edge Space Cruise by a neck. The winning time was 1:38 3/5 for the mile on a track labeled fast.

Plaid, claimed for $20,000 in November of 2005, has now won more than $311,000 in her career, with more than $190,000 of that for her current connections.

Also on Saturday evening, apprentice jockey Colby Hernandez recorded his first career victory winning the sixth race aboard Bumpsterdose ($14.20). Always prominent, Bumpsterdose grabbed the lead midway on the turn of the 5 furlong event, before steadily inching clear to win by 3 lengths. The running time was 1:06 3/5. Hernandez, a 17 year-old native of nearby Lafayette, has a race-riding pedigree. His father is veteran Brian Hernandez, and his older brother is recent Eclipse award winning apprentice Brian Hernandez Jr., beginning his career on Friday night, Hernandez finished third in his debut, then in an earlier race on the Saturday program he finished a close second before his milestone victory in his third career start.

Racing on Monday, Labor Day with a first post time of 6:40 p.m.

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