Opelousas, Louisiana –Costa Rising ($7.40) left his eight rivals including even-money favorite Super Frolic in his wake as he recorded a powerful victory in the 21st edition of the $200,000 Evangeline Mile at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino on Saturday evening. Breaking alertly from post eight in the nine-horse field, jockey Kerwin Clark was able to get the Louisiana bred four-year-old son of Royal Strand to relax while setting moderate fractions of 24, 48, and 1:12 2/5 for the six furlongs, when asked for his best turning for home, Costa Rising eagerly responded, sprinting home the final quarter-mile in 24 seconds flat stopping the clock in a new track record 1:36.51.

Super Frolic, victimized by the lack of early pace, rallied willingly along the inside in the stretch under jockey Luis Quinonez to be a clear cut second. Watchem Smokey, who trailed during the early stages, also rallied strongly in the late stages while checking in third. High Strike Zone was fourth, followed by the defending champion Dreamsandvisions. Marion’s Man, Cat Man, Rocket Strike, and Pinecrest Boy rounded out the complete order of finish. Gigawatt was a late scratch.

Winning jockey Kerwin Clark stated “He was a different horse tonight. In his last start, he had excuses while checking in third as the odds/on favorite in the Pola Benoit Memorial on Louisiana Legends Night. He bled and was a touch rank in the early stages as well. Trainer Glenn Delahoussaye made a few adjustments and also took the blinkers off, and tonight he relaxed perfectly for me, when I gave him his head at the top of the stretch, he really accelerated, even though I knew we had the race wrapped up, I let him roll to the sixteenth pole before wrapping up on him. I wanted everyone to see the real Costa Rising, and they did.”

Owned by Charles Castille Jr. and trained by Glenn Delahoussaye, Costa Rising earned $120,000 for the victory, his eleventh in eighteen career starts. Bred in Louisiana by Double Dam Farm LLC, last year’s three-year-old Louisiana bred colt champion has now earned more than $674,000.

The official winning margin was 12 lengths and the running time was .01 seconds faster than the previous one mile standard.

Racing continues on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule with a post time of 6:20 p.m. Central each evening.

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