Opelousas, Louisiana –Cute N Shiny has been installed as the 5/2 morning-line favorite for the Grade I (Res) LQHBA Futurity, the richest race in the forty-two year history of racing in South Central Louisiana with a purse of $573,055, at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino on Sunday, November 25.

The LQHBA Futurity, for two-year-olds bred in Louisiana, will be run at the distance of 400 yards and features a field on ten who advanced from the more than 160 youngsters who took part in a total of 17 trials held three weeks ago. With a purse of more than $573,000, this eclipses last year’s purse of the LQHBA Futurity which was the first ever Π million dollar event ever contested at Evangeline Downs by more than $55,000. In addition to this event, there are two other stakes races on the rich ten-race program (the stakes races will be run as the 7th, 8th, & 9th races) each to be run at the same distance of 400 yards, they are the Val’s Fortune Stakes (the consolation for the LQHBA Futurity featuring the second ten fastest qualifiers) and the Evangeline Downs Derby for three-year-olds with a purse of $82,200.

Cute N Shiny, who had to overcame a troubled trip in her trial en route to her fourth lifetime win in eight starts, is expected to go postward as the public’s choice in the Restricted Grade I event. One of three starters in the field by prominent sire First to Shine, she is owned in partnership by Julian Stevens III & her trainer Paul Rigdon. Danny Lavergne, who has been aboard for all four of her victories, will ride Cute N Shiny, who will leave from post position #7.

Fastest qualifier Vals Warrior, and leading money-earner in the field Native Shine are two others in the field sure to attract plenty of support from the betting public. Vals Warrior, who was the fastest qualifier with a time of 20.261, has won 3 of 8 starts and two-in-a-row since finishing second in the La. Juvenile Stakes at Delta Downs in June. A Dashing Val colt, he is owned by Mary Thompson and trained by Larry Kopycinski. Alfonso Lujan, will ride Vals Warrior, who has drawn post position #4 and is listed as the second choice at odds of 4/1. Native Shine, also by leading Louisiana sire First to Shine (First Words is the other in the field for the LQHBA Futurity) earned his way into the rich final despite not winning his trial. Fellow finalist Mon Ti Rose pulled off the biggest upset during the 17-race trial program by edging the Heath Taylor trained gelding by a neck at odds of more than 50/1. By the thoroughbred sired mare Bag of Natives, Native Shine has won four of six career starts and earned more than $155,000 for owners Noe & Starla Martinez. The third choice in the morning-line at 5/1, Native Shine will leave from post position #6 and will be ridden by G.R. Carter Jr.

The Val’s Fortune is the consolation for the LQHBA, and will be held immediately prior to the LQHBA. The total purse is $101,127 and will feature the eleventh thru twentieth fastest qualifiers and on paper looks as a very competitive event as the qualifying times for the ten youngsters was separated by only .156th’s of a second. Glaring Bye, Miss Classy Perry, Heza Patriot Dream, and Gold Rush Dazzle are all expected to attract plenty of support at the windows and have been listed as the top four choices according to the Evangeline Downs morning-line oddsmaker.

The Evangeline Downs Derby for three-year-olds kicks off the stakes action on Sunday as the 7th race and is headed up by the Heath Taylor trained Twoforthedough & Diamond Tres Seis. Twoforthedough shipped to Louisiana after facing some of the best quarter horse three-year-olds in the nation in the Ruidoso & Rainbow Derbies at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. Fourth in both of those events, Twoforthedough’s class showed in his trial as he was an easy winner under jockey G. R. Carter Jr. in a time of 20.394 while seemingly not asked for his best. The Joseph and Richard Bowler owner son of First Down Dash is listed as the 2/1 favorite in the morning-line and will start from post position #6 in the nine-horse field. Diamond Tres Seis, who rebounded to win his trial after suffering his only loss of the season in the $200,000 Dash for Cash Derby at Lone Star Park in Fort Worth, Texas rallied strongly to win his trial under jockey Gilbert Ortiz in a time of 20.390. The altered son of Tres Seis has won 6 of 7 this year and is the second choice at odds of 3/1. Fastest qualifier Dancingwithmemories is next at odds of 9/2 on the morning-line.

Carded as the 9th race on Sunday’s ten-race program, the approximate post time for the LQHBA Futurity is 9:40 pm central time. The EVD Derby, the 7th race on the rich program is set to run at 8:50 pm and the Val’s Fortune, the 8th race is set to run at 9.16 pm central time.

Here is the field in program order with odds for the $573,055 LQHBA Futurity to be run at Evangeline Downs on Sunday, November 25. 2007

1. First Words	Martin Rubalcava	10/1
2. Lil Miss Hatch	Ray Mayo	20/1
3. Picture Perfect Game	Joe Patin Jr.	6/1
4. Vals Warrior	Alfonso Lujan	4/1
5. Marcys Dashin Bye	Juan Vazquez	10/1
6. Native Shine	G. R. Carter Jr.	5/1
7. Cute N Shiny	Danny Lavergne	5/2
8. Miss Game Tee	Gilbert Ortiz	12/1
9. Mon Ti Rose	Cipriano Vidana	20/1
10. Toast With the Most	Orlando Baldillez	8/1

Live Racing continues on a Thursday thru Sunday schedule with a first post of 6:20 pm central time.

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