GOOD AFTERNOON & WELCOME TO MIDWEEK MAYHEM
THIS AFTERNOON WE ARE AT EVANGELINE DOWNS
WHERE OUR FEATURE EVENT WILL BE:
THE 'WOULDA~COULDA~SHOULDA STAKES'
(aka: THE POST DERBY BLUES STAKES)
DEFENDING CHAMP, CATALINA WILL HAVE 7 CHALLENGERS
TRYING TO STOP THE FILLY FROM ANOTHER ROARING VICTORY
7 ARE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR TIGER DANCER TO SETTLE DOWN
AS THE FRISKY FILLY IS REFUSING TO GO INTO HER GATE
(Perhaps Awaiting The Arrival Of Real Quiet Who Is A Late Scratch)?
FINALLY SOME CARROTS & CATNIP HAVE PURRRSUADED
THE FUSSY FILLY TO GO ON IN TO HER GATE
AND THEY'RE OFF IN THE ''WOULDA-COULDA-SHOULDA'' STAKES
IT'S CIGARSHOP & THUNDER CAT OUT FOR A SHORT EARLY LEAD
WITH DUSTY & CATALINA RIGHT AT THEIR TAILS
IT'S A FEW LENGTHS BACK TO BLUNNY ~
FOLLOWED BY RUFFIAN ~ CRUZAN & TIGER DANCER
===== OUT OF THE TURN THEY COME =====
IT IS NOW CIGARSHOP OUT IN FRONT TAKING COMMAND OF THE LEAD
RUFFIAN IS ABOUT 5 LENGTHS BACK FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY
THUNDER CAT ~ BLUNNY & CATALINA
IT'S ANOTHER SEVERAL LENGTHS BACK TO DUSTY AND EVEN
FARTHER BACK TO CRUZAN & TIGER DANCER WHO SEEM TO BE
MORE FOCUSED ON A FLOCK OF CATTLE EGRETS THAN RUNNING!
===== THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THE STRETCH =====
CIGARSHOP WITH THINGS GOING HIS WAY UNTIL NOW APPEARS
TO BE GETTING LEG WEARY AS THE CLOSERS ARE
GAINING GROUND WITH EVERY STRIDE
CATALINA ~ BLUNNY ~ & RUFFIAN TURNING A ''RUNAWAY'' INTO
A ''YES WE CAN'' EVENT AS THE TENACIOUS TRIO NOW HAS
COLLARED A TIRING CIGARSHOP MOVING RIGHT ON PAST
THE COLT IN A 3 WAY LINE ACROSS THE TRACK
===== AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME =====
SUDDENLY RUFFIAN HAS TURNED HER ''INNER CHEETAH'' LOOSE
MUCH TO THE SURPRISE OF CATALINA & BLUNNY AS THEY WATCH
HER TAIL MOVING AWAY FROM THEM QUICKLY
CIGARSHOP STILL TRYING TO HOLD ON IS NEXT
WITH THUNDER CAT BREATHING DOWN HIS NECK
IT'S 7 LENGTHS BACK TO DUSTY AND ANOTHER FEW TO CRUZAN
AS A VERY LETHARGIC TIGER DANCER IS MEANDERING ALL OVER THE TRACK
STILL MESMERISED BY THE FLOCK OF EGRETS!
RUMOR HAS IT THAT HER TRAINER HAS BEEN WORKING THE FILLY
AROUND AREAS WITH A LOT OF BIRDS TRYING TO STOP THIS
RIDICULOUS OBSESSION OF 'BIRD WATCHING'
APPARENTLY THE TRAINING SESSIONS HAVE PROVEN FRUITLESS
WITH THE WIRE JUST AHEAD IT IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS RUFFIAN
DYNAMIC & DETERMINED TO HOLD OFF THE ENERGIZER-BLUNNY
WHOSE BATTERIES SEEM TO BE NOW TURNED UP TO HIGH
CATALINA IS RIGHT AT BLUNNY'S TAIL
WITH CIGARSHOP ANOTHER FEW LENGTHS BACK
A FINAL BURST OF 'CHEETAH-POWER' HAS PUT RUFFIAN'S NOSE
ON THE WIRE AS BLUNNY HOLDS OFF DEFENDING CHAMP, CATALINA
TO SECURE THE BRIDESMAID PRIZE ~
A HOT-TO-TROT OUT OF THE GATE CIGARSHOP HAS THE
CONSOLATION OF STEALING 'THE PRECIOUS'
SO IT IS RUFFIAN WINNING THE 'WOULDA~COULDA~SHOULDA STAKES
AS WELL AS THE COVETED: 'YO-YO-MAMA' TROPHY BOUNCING
FROM CAT HOUSE TO PENTHOUSE!
:chickendance:
$$$ ===== OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH ===== $$$
RUFFIAN = $77.50
*Irony Winning 'Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda' Considering Her Major Blunders!
BLUNNY = $71.40
*Energizer Battery 7/8 Full!
(DC) CATALINA = $69.30
*Good Effort Gate To Wire
CIGARSHOP = $62.30
*Steals The Precious Leaving Gollum In A Cloud Of Smoke!
===== ALSO RAN =====
THUNDER CAT = $58.70
DUSTY = $49
CRUZAN = $34.40
TIGER DANCER = $21.30
KEY TO CAT HOUSE & A BOWL OF MEOW MIX & SUNFLOWER SEED
AND THE ''THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER'' MALE DANCERS!
:chickendance:
WE NOW BID YOU GOOD EVENING FROM OPELOUSAS LOUISIANA
HAVE A SAFE, SOBER, NON-TEXTING DRIVE HOME
AND LEAVE THE CELL PHONE OUT OF REACH!
NO CALL IS WORTH A LIFE!
A DANCING TIGER IN LOOOZIANA 
:chickendance: 
