Ova Charged Leads Legends Night at Evangeline Downs

One of the biggest nights of stakes racing at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino is set for this Saturday in Opelousas, La. Many of the top Louisiana breds have won stakes races including Ova Charged back from her stakes win at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day.

“Legends Night is popular not only because of top stakes racing, but also for honoring Louisianians who have made Louisiana racing what it is today,” said Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. “This year honors the pathfinders for our racing industry from jockeys, trainers, and management leadership. These are truly the superstars in our industry, and we look forward to this special night.”

Sprint – Honoring Mark Guidry

Mark Guidry (born August 6, 1959, in Lafayette, Louisiana) is a former American jockey. He ranks 22nd among jockeys in career wins with 5,222 wins as of March 7, 2014, the date of his last ride. He subsequently announced his retirement from riding to become a jockey’s agent. This was Guidry’s second retirement. He initially retired in 2007 and did not ride again for 4 more years.

Cheval – Honoring Calvin “Boo Boo” Borel

Calvin H. Borel (born November 7, 1966) is an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the 2010 Kentucky Derby. His 2009 Derby win with Mine That Bird was the third biggest upset in Derby history, (after Donerail and Rich Strike), and Borel’s winning margin of 6+3⁄4 lengths was the greatest in Derby history since Assault won by 8 lengths in 1946. On May 1, 2009, Borel won the Kentucky Oaks aboard Rachel Alexandra, only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo, and just the seventh time overall a jockey has accomplished this feat in the same year. On May 16, 2009, Borel won the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico with thoroughbred filly Rachel Alexandra. In doing so, Borel became the first jockey to win the first two jewels of the Triple Crown on different mounts. Borel’s nickname is “Bo’rail'” due to his penchant for riding close to the rail to save ground.

Turf – Honoring Larry Robideaux

Larry Robideaux (born August 20, 1933 in New Orleans) was a multiple graded stakes winning trainer. He passed away on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in Bossier City, Louisiana. He was born in New Orleans and lived in Iowa, Louisiana, until he was 27. He attended Iowa High School and a few years at McNeese College. Larry was a United States Army Veteran. He started his training career in 1960 with one horse. Larry raced in all the tracks in Louisiana, Hot Springs, and Kentucky. He ran horses in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and won several thousand races. Breeders Cup elected Larry to the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2014 and Person of The Year in 2015. He trained for 61 years. Larry was on the board of directors of the H.B.P.A for several years.

Turf Distaff – Honoring Joseph “Spanky” Broussard

After serving as an assistant to Hall of Famers Tennessee Wright, Dewey Smith, and J. R. Smith, Broussard went on his own in 1969 and continued through the summer of 2012. During his career, Broussard was represented by more than 1,000 winners and was inducted into the Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. In addition to his training career, Broussard was an agent for Sallee Horse Vans.

Among the top horses trained by Broussard were multiple grade II and seven-time stakes winner Irish Swap, grade III six-time stakes winner Stonehouse, grade III winner Tudor Tambourine, and multiple stakes winners Bayou Bidder, Magnetic Miss, and Bishop’s Idea, among others.

Joseph E. “Spanky” Broussard, who trained on the Chicago and New Orleans circuits for 50 years, passed at age 74 in 2015.

Soiree – Honoring Edward “Eddie” Johnston

Johnston got his start on the racetrack hotwalking for his uncle, Alex Johnston. He began training in 1981, according to Equibase statistics, and remained a trainer throughout his life. Through Aug. 31, Johnston had won 558 races from 2,988 starts and his horses over the years have collected almost $13 million in earnings. His top horses included Louisiana’s 2015 champion 3-year-old filly Pacific Pink and Louisiana’s 2003 champion older horse Zarb’s Luck.

Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association president Benard Chatters said that Johnston had served as a Louisiana HBPA board member and a longtime mainstay trainer in the state. Eddie passed away in 2021.

Mademoiselle – Honoring Charles Ashy, Sr.

Charles Ashy, Sr. (Lafayette, La.) is known for his longtime leadership as General Manager for Evangeline Downs. Ashy had a big impact on racing in Louisiana. 

His work in bringing Off Track Betting and slots to the racetrack changed the landscape of racing in Louisiana. In 1966 Evangeline Downs became the first parimutuel racetrack in Louisiana not located around New Orleans. The track was in Carencro, a suburb of Lafayette, in Lafayette Parish. When Lafayette Parish voted gaming out of the Parish, Ashy’s efforts in the Louisiana legislature along with former Senator Don Cravins resulted in the first racino ever being built in America in St. Landry Parish.

Ashy also owned and operated the Louisiana Breeders Sales Company that conducted annual yearling and mixed horse sales.

In addition, the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association (LTBA) will award two scholarships, each valued at $1,000 to college students for a total of $2,000.

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association manages the best incentive program for breeding thoroughbreds in the United States. Since the organization formed, this has led to increased purses, better quality horses, and increased interest in racing and breeding horses. The thoroughbred racing and breeding industry generates over $1 billion and employs over 60,000 people in the state of Louisiana.

This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.