Perry County powers through sloppy track to win John Henry Stakes

Perry County stayed composed over a sloppy Evangeline Downs main track and drew off by two lengths in the John Henry Stakes for owner-trainer Veronica Litfin.

The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.38 and earned the winner’s share of $36,000. The race was race 8 on Evangeline Downs’ July 4 card, carried a $60,000 purse, and was switched from turf to dirt because of the course condition. It was run at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, and the winning time left Perry County well short of the track record of 1:43.26 for the distance.

The field included eight older horses, and runner-up E Lion was making his stakes debut after a three-race winning streak. Trainer Shane Wilson said the horse was improving and that the timing was right to “give him a chance to earn black type.” Perry County handled the step up, with Elio Barrera riding a patient trip that let the colt finish the job in the stretch.

Perry County came in off a six-length win in the Evangeline Mile on April 4, a race that earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure, and he had been second in the Super Derby last year. His record now stands at five wins from 20 starts, with earnings above $263,000.

Perry County is by Collected out of Tyrannical by Street Boss and was bred by Shortleaf Stable. Litfin owns and trains him. John Henry won his first stakes at Evangeline Downs in the Lafayette Futurity on Sept. 5, 1977, and the track’s modern John Henry Stakes runs during a meet that runs in the spring and summer and again from October through December at the current Opelousas location, which opened in 2005.