KARL BROBERG DOMINATES THE 2017 THOROUGHBRD SEASON AT EVANGELINE DOWNS

By Michael Chamberlain —-

LOUISIANA NATIVE TIM THORNTON WINS FIRST EVANGELINE RIDING TITLE

OPELOUSAS, LA – The 2017 Thoroughbred season at Evangeline Downs concluded this weekend and the entire season could really be encapsulated in one name: Karl Broberg. He won his seventh training title from 2011-2017 this summer and his ownership group, End Zone Athletics, Inc., also took down the leading owner honors.

The numbers by which Karl Broberg absolutely dominated the summer at Evangeline Downs are staggering. His horses won 86 races from 246 starts for a winning percentage of 35% and his runners also earned $1,010,580 for the season. Broberg finished 65 wins ahead of the tie for second place in the standings between, Allen Landry and Sam Breaux with 21 winners each. These figures were a marked improvement over Broberg’s 2016 title-winning season, when he won just 49 races and $657,910 in purse money and finished 11 wins ahead of runner-up, Eduardo Ramirez.

The complete top ten trainers’ standings were: Broberg (86 wins), Landry and Breaux (21), Eduardo Ramirez (20), Shane Wilson (19), Jose Camejo (18), Al Stall, Jr. and Dale White, Sr. (tied at 16), Scott Gelner (15), and a three-way tie for ninth between Howard Alonzo, Danny Pish, and Lee Thomas at 14 wins each.

The owners’ standings tell the same story with the End Zone Athletics, Inc. pairing of Karl Broberg and Matt Johanson outdistancing the competition with 52 wins from 133 runners for a winning percentage of 39% and earnings of $538,465. The margin of victory in the standings was an amazing 42 wins, as Whispering Oaks Farm, LLC came in second place with 10 wins from 56 starters.

The complete top ten owners’ standings were: End Zone Athletics, Inc. (52 wins), Whispering Oaks Farm, LLC (10), Elite Thoroughbred Racing, LLC (9), a five-way tie for fourth at eight wins each for Brittlyn Stable, Inc., Wayne T. Davis, Virginia Lazenby Racing Stable, LLC, Red Rose Racing, and Lee Young Farm, and a three-way tie for ninth at seven wins each for Circle H Farms, Double Dam Farm, LLC, and Norman Stables, LLC.

Jockey Tim Thornton, a Louisiana native, benefited from working as the main rider for Karl Broberg during his first full season riding at Evangeline Downs. That certainly helped him immensely as he won the riding title with 119 wins from 423 starts for a winning percentage of 28% and earnings of $1,377,442. Diego Saenz was the runner-up in the jockeys’ standings for the third consecutive season with 92 wins from 411 starts.

The complete top ten jockeys’ standings were: Thornton (119 wins), Saenz (92), Ashley Broussard (72), Colby Hernandez (71), Roberto Morales (38), Steve Bourque (32), Alexis Batista (30), Kerwin Clark and Gerard Melancon (tied at 29), and a tie for 10th between Jansen Melancon and apprentice Jarred Journet at 28 wins each.

Evangeline Downs will resume live racing with the start of the 46-day American Quarter Horse racing season on October 4. The premier night of the season will be Saturday, December 16 with four major stakes races taking place that evening. The finals for the $1,000,000 Louisiana Million (RG1), the $300,000-estimated LQHBA Breeders Derby, the $100,000-added Evangeline Downs Futurity, and the $50,000-added Evangeline Downs Derby all will be run that night. Post time for the American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs will be 5:35 pm Central Time.

For more information on the American Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs, visit the track’s website at www.evdracing.com. Evangeline Downs’ Twitter handle is @EVDRacing and the racetrack is also accessible on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EvangelineDownsRacing.

About Evangeline Downs
Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation, a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Boyd Gaming press releases are available at www.prnewswire.com. Additional news and information can be found at www.boydgaming.com, or www.evangelinedowns.com.