Evangeline training goes dark

The shuttering of the Evangeline Training Center near Lafayette, La., on Aug. 15 marked the end of an era in Louisiana. The facility was the original Evangeline Downs racetrack, which moved operations to Opelousas, La., in 2005.

Carrol Castille, a Louisiana breeder and owner, operated the Evangeline Training Center for more than 10 years. The decision to close the facility, which as a racetrack launched the careers of numerous prominent riders and once hosted John Henry, was dictated by economics.

“We have seen a decline in the industry and it’s severely affected the training center,” Mary Huebner, spokeswoman for Castille, said in an email to Daily Racing Form. “The center has been operating at a loss for more than five years, but Carrol continued to keep it open in hopes that an economic uptick would bring more horses to the track.

“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as many horse owners have gotten out of the racing industry and the economy hasn’t bounced back. In addition, the [Environmental Protection Agency] has set mandates that would require a large financial investment to bring the center up to their standards and that is not feasible considering the current loss. That decision meant closure was the only option as there was a deadline for compliance.”

Huebner said about 300 horses were based at the training center, a drop from the 800 to 900 in the initial years of operation. Castille at one point built additional barns to accommodate horses on a waiting list, bringing capacity to 1,200 stalls. Huebner said that five years ago, when the oil fields took a “serious hit,” the horse population dropped to about 300.

“We don’t have any set plans for the property at this point,” she said. “We do plan for development to be there one way or another, as Carrol Castille is an entrepreneur known for bringing shopping centers, stores, and overall growth to this city.”

The training center housed divisions of horses for a number of top trainers, and its surface was widely lauded by those who had horses work there. Its operation also kept alive the rich racing history in Louisiana.

“Today is an emotional day for so many people who have spent countless hours and made many memories at the track,” Huebner said on Aug. 15. “Carrol is included in that number and it was not a decision he made lightly. If Carrol didn’t have a personal, sentimental connection to the facility, the training center would not have stayed open nearly as long as it did. That being said, this decision and especially this day, has weighed heavy.”

Fly Baby Fly in trials

The filly Fly Baby Fly, who won last year’s Grade 1, $3 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses over male rivals at Ruidoso Downs, will run Sunday at Ruidoso in trials for the Grade 1, $1.2 million All American Derby.

Ruidoso will put on 11 trials for the All American Derby. Horses with the 10 fastest times will advance to the 440-yard finale Sept. 2. Fly Baby Fly runs in the 11th trial Sunday.

The card begins with champion Kvn Corona making an appearance in the first trial. He brings a 9-for-10 record to the table, with his first loss coming last out when eighth in the Ruidoso Derby.