Opelousas, Louisiana :: Tortuga Straits ($3.20) ran his unbeaten streak to three with a gutsy front-running performance in the $100,000 Lafayette Stakes for two-year-olds at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino on Monday evening, the closing night of the 2006 spring/summer Thoroughbred season [ picture ].

An off-the-pace winner in his two previous starts, Tortuga Straits was sent right to the front by jockey Luis Quinonez and led all the way through fractions of 21 3/5 and 45 2/5 before stopping the teletimer in 1:10 4/5 for the six furlongs on a track labeled fast.

Sentry, making his first start since finishing third in the Grade 3 Kentucky Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on Derby Day, challenged the winner in the stretch before settling for the runner-up spot. L'Grande D'Oro finished third, six lengths behind Sentry and more than seven lengths behind the winner. Big Al's Choice, Ruston Robber, and Valid Invader rounded out the order of finish.

Tortuga Straits, a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Tortuga Flats, purchased for $21,000 at the John Franks Memorial two-year-old in training sale in March, increased his career earnings to $138,000 for owner Karla Balensiefen and trainer Ralph Irwin.

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