Opelousas, Louisiana –173 of Louisiana’s best have been pre-entered in the nine stakes races worth more than $935,000 that will make up the 3rd edition of Louisiana Legends Night to be held at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino on Saturday evening, June 30th.

Each of the nine stakes races honors an individual and their families who have had a distinct and positive impact on Louisiana Racing. In only its third year of existence, the Louisiana Legends Night has quickly established an identity as a showcase evening not just for Evangeline Downs but for all of Louisiana Racing.

With a purse of approximately $125,000 each, the two divisions of the D. S. “Shine” Young Memorial for two-year-olds at five furlongs are the richest races of the evening and both feature 12 youngsters who earned their way into the six-figure event by finishing in the top three in four trials held last month. Run every year since the inception of Evangeline Downs in 1966, the “Shine” is the official start of stakes season for two-year-olds in Louisiana and is also the first two of five $100,000+ races held for the youngsters at Evangeline Downs. Must Acquit, who recorded the fastest running time of 58 1/5th in his trial victory, is a son of Successful Appeal owned by Heligbrodt Racing Stables and is one of three qualifiers from the powerful Steve Asmussen barn. Jumpin For Jason who captured his trial and Booth are the other Asmussen trainees in the final. Heligbrodt Racing Stables will also start Cubera, who captured his trial in professional fashion for trainer Brett Brinkman. Ide Like A Double, a son of Ide captured the other trial and figures prominently as well.

Four of the events will feature a purse of $100,000 and they include the Pola Benoit Memorial Stakes for four-year-olds and up going 1 1/16th miles in which last year’s Louisiana bred champion three-year-old male Costa Rising is expected to make his return. Owned by Charles Castille and now trained by Glenn Delahoussaye, Costa Rising won at all four racetracks in the state en route to six stakes victories and eight of thirteen overall while bankrolling more than $400,000 on the year. In his only 2007 start the son of Royal Strand captured the $200,000 La. Premiere Night Championship by more than 6 lengths over veterans Mean Butterbean and Diggy Fresh. The Junius Delahoussaye Memorial Stakes will feature the fastest sprinters in the Pelican state doing battle at the distance of 5 1/2 furlongs. Cort’s P.B., a now seven-year-old gelding who started off the 2006 season with a win in a 15,000 claiming race at Evangeline Downs, has recorded nine wins including five stakes events in fourteen starts since that effort and has earned more than $300,000 while winning also winning at all four racetracks in the state. The two final $100,000 events, the J. Archie Sebastien Memorial Stakes and the Pierre LeBlanc Memorial Stakes will feature the ladies going the distances of 1 mile & 70 yards and 5 π furlongs respectively. The “Sebastien” is headed up by Raspberry Wine, a five-year-old daughter of Change Takes Time who has won her last four starts, all stakes races for trainer Al Stall Jr. and owner Sport of Kings Racing LLC. The “LeBlanc” on paper appears to be the widest open of all the races on the stellar program with Indigo Girl, fresh off a near track record performance in the Tellike Stakes last month here at Evangeline Downs the likely favorite.

Three-year-olds will square off vs. one another in two events worth $75,000 each at the distance of one mile, the Frank A. “Buddy” Abadie Memorial Stakes for three-year-old fillies and the $75,000 B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn Stakes for colts & geldings.

Three $45,000 Starter Stakes races will close out the program. They include the Gene Norman Memorial for fillies & mares at five furlongs, the Mervin Muniz Memorial for three-year-olds and up at 1 mile & 70yds, and the Attaway Darbonne Memorial for three-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs.

Racing continues on a four-evening a week schedule, Wednesday thru Saturday, with a first post of 6:20 p.m. Central.

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