Delta Downs’ racing office was alive with activity on Tuesday morning as final entries and post positions were drawn for Saturday’s $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (G3). The 5-2 morning line favorite for the 11thrunning of the track’s signature event is Coastline, from the barn of Mark Casse, one of 10 2-year-olds entered for the 1-1/16 mile race.
Coastline will attempt to make Casse the first two-time winning trainer of the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot after he saddled Turf War before his dead heat victory with Z Humor in 2007. Coastline comes into Saturday’s showdown off an impressive three-length score in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs on October 27. That win was flattered by Almost Famous, who lost to Coastline by more than 10 lengths before taking a highly regarded allowance event at the storied racetrack on November 9
Trainer Doug O’Neill will try to win back-to-back $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpots on Saturday when he sends out Rum Point, who will run on dirt for only the second time after finishing 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park on November 2. O’Neill will give a leg up to Mario Gutierrez on Saturday after the pair won the Kentucky Derby together with I’ll Have Another in 2012. Rum Point has been installed as the fourth choice in the morning line at odds of 5-1.
O’Neill used the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot as a springboard for Goldencents last year, who went on to win the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) after his front- running victory in Vinton last November.
Fans will also get a chance to see this year’s $200,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes winner Rise Up for trainer Tom Amoss on Saturday. The Jean Lafitte is the major local prep race for the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot and in 2009 it produced Rule, who took both races. Rise Up was assigned morning line odds of 3-1 for the big race Saturday. Casiguapo, second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, has been installed as the third choice at 4-1 for trainer Mario Morales.
The entire field is listed below along with morning line odds for each horse.
Post # Horse Jockey Trainer ML
1 Whyruawesome Eddie Martin, Jr. Anne P. Smith 10-1
2 Coastline Shaun Bridgmohan Mark Casse 5-2
3 Roman Unbridled Kevin Smith Chad Cook 30-1
4 Mighty Brown Miguel Mena Tim A. Ice 12-1
5 Rum Point Mario Gutierrez Doug O’Neill 5-1
6 Flat Gone Diego Saenz J. Keith Desormeaux 20-1
7 Rankhasprivileges Robby Albarado Kenneth McPeek 15-1
8 Casiguapo Luis Saez Mario Morales 4-1
9 Big Bazinga Rosie Napravnik Sandra Dominguez 12-1
10 Rise Up Gerard Melancon Thomas Amoss 3-1
The winner of Saturday’s main event will earn a $600,000 paycheck and 10 points toward a possible starting position in next year’s Kentucky Derby by way of the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ series. Since 2002, a total of nine horses have participated in the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot before going on to compete in the Kentucky Derby as 3-year-olds. Last year the race produced a record three Derby starters including Goldencents, Mylute and Itsmyluckyday.
Saturday’s program will also feature the $500,000 Delta Downs Princess (G3). The $500,000 Delta Downs Princess is headed by 2-1 morning line favorite Miss Behaviour, who won the Matron (G2) at Belmont Park before finishing a close second in the Sharp Cat Stakes at the same track last out.
Delta Downs will offer a special guaranteed $200,000 Pick 4 on Jackpot Day. The wager has been available during each of the 10 previous editions of the Jackpot Day program. The record payoff for a $2 winning ticket was $22,225.80 in 2006. Last year’s payoff was $843.60 with Goldencents taking the anchor leg in the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot. The minimum wager amount for the Jackpot Day Pick 4 is only .50 cents.
There is a special early post time for the Jackpot Day program Saturday of 1:15 p.m. CST. Listed below is the entire Jackpot Day Pick 4 sequence of races, along with their scheduled post times.
Race 4 $75,000 Sam’s Town Post Time 2:44 pm CST
Race 5 $150,000 Delta Mile Post Time 3:13 pm CST
Race 6 $500,000 Delta Downs Princess (G3) Post Time 3:43 pm CST
Race 7 $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) Post Time 4:15 pm CST
For more information about the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot visit www.deltadownjackpot.com. Additional information can also be found on the ‘Delta Downs Racing’ page on Facebook, and by following Delta Downs on Twitter with the account @deltaracing.