Evangeline Prince could be next start for Wakefield

Trainer Karl Broberg’s stable leads North America in wins this year, and he has started to focus on adding more 2-yearolds to the mix. The barn’s most accomplished young horse Wakefield could be bound for Evangeline Downs next.

Wakefield won the $107,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity in his most recent start July 15 at Lone Star Park. The gelded son of Munnings is now 2 for 2, both for longtime Broberg client Jerry Namy. Wakefield earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 70 in the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity.

Broberg said he’ll probably point Wakefield to the $50,000 Evangeline Downs Prince on Aug. 25.

Broberg said the other race he and Namy had considered for Wakefield was the $60,000 Tyro on Aug. 4 at Monmouth Park, but the shipping options were not satisfactory. The Tyro is at five furlongs on turf, and Broberg said at some point he would like to try the grass with Wakefield.

The Evangeline Downs Prince will be run on the main track at six furlongs. It is the richest open-company stakes for 2-year-olds at Evangeline.

Broberg’s operation long has been driven by older horses like Jubal, who won his sixth consecutive race at the Evangeline meet on July 20. He was a $4,000 claim by the barn in June and has won three times for his new connections, with his July 20 win coming in a firstlevel allowance at a mile on turf.

Broberg is the leading trainer at Evangeline and last Thursday night won the title at Lone Star.

Fall return for Pickett

Pickett, winner of the $75,000 colts and geldings division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Memorial at Evangeline on July 14, is being freshened, according to trainer Glenn Delahoussaye.

“Pickett and I are going to take a little break,” Delahoussaye said last week when driving to the beach for a short getaway.

Pickett, meanwhile, will spend his time enjoying the surroundings at his base, the Copper Crown training center near Evangeline.

“We’ve got full access to beautiful paddocks, great grass,” said Delahoussaye. “He’s comfortable at that facility. We’ll let him down for this week for sure, then start him back with some light training to get ready for Delta.”

Delahousssaye said he and owner Charlie Carlton would like to target some of the Louisiana-bred stakes at Delta Downs, which opens in October, and at Fair Grounds, which opens in November.

“We’ve mapped out a shortterm plan and a long-term plan, and all of those plans are predicated on illness or injury, and right now we have neither,” said Delahoussaye.

Pickett has won both of his starts, including his debut by 6 1/2 lengths in a maiden special weight for Louisiana-breds on May 30 at Evangeline. With the victory, he became the first winner for his sire, two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, and became his sire’s first stakes winner in the Shine Young. He led throughout the Shine Young under regular rider Tim Thornton and won by nine lengths, earning a careerhigh Beyer Speed Figure of 66.

“He separated himself from them without being asked,” said Delahoussaye.

Delahoussaye looks forward to seeing how Pickett will handle additional distance, as there traditionally are multiple two-turn stakes for his division at Delta.

“I don’t believe he’s a onedimensional horse,” Delahoussaye said. “I believe he’s fast because he has quality. All good horses possess speed. Now, we find out distance limitations. That’s our next plan.”

Delahoussaye said that depending on how Pickett advances, he would love to see him move into open company next year for the 3-year-old series at Fair Grounds.

“If he’s good enough, then you try,” said Delahoussaye.

Rich stakes at Retama, Ruidoso

Retama Park near San Antonio and Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico both have significant stakes coming up this week.

Retama on Friday night will run five stakes for Quarter Horses, including one that drew past world champion Jrc Callas First. The track’s card on Saturday night features the $479,196 TQHA Sales Futurity and the $139,300 Retama Park Derby, both for Quarter Horses.

Retama is running a mixed meet this year, and its first races for Thoroughbreds are scheduled for Tuesday, July 31.

Ruidoso Downs puts on nine stakes for New Mexico-breds on Sunday as part of its annual Zia Festival, with five for Thoroughbreds and four for Quarter Horses. Each of the divisional stakes for Thoroughbreds carries a purse of $50,000, while the richest offering for Quarter Horses is the Zia Futurity worth $400,000. First post is 1 p.m. Mountain.