Elio Barrera captured the first riding title of his young career and Juan Larrosa fended off a number of challengers in a tightly contested trainer's race at the Evangeline Downs Thoroughbred meet which concluded Saturday. Michele Rodriguez's Elite Thoroughbred Racing repeated as the meet's leading owner.
Barrera, a 22-year-old from Guatemala in his second full season of riding, finished the season with 80 wins from 420 mounts at the meet which opened Apr. 5. He was one of five riders to eclipse the million-dollar mark in purse earnings, topping the list at $1,585,265.
Larrosa edged clear in the final nights of the meet to capture the training title, with 33 wins from 157 starters. Shane Wilson topped the earnings list with $698,430.
Elite Thoroughbred Racing repeated as leading owner with 19 wins from 102 starters. Adding in 18 seconds and 11 shows, Elite Thoroughbred earned a meet-topping $429,555. Evelyn Benoit's Brittlyn Stable finished second with $316,380 and Robert Norman's Norman Stables was third with $304,470.
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