Fair Grounds increases purses for third time this meet

For the third time in the 2020-21 meet, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is increasing its purses by 10 percent across the board.

Much like the first two, the boost was inspired by strong simulcast handle. The purse increase, which includes open races and Louisiana-bred races, goes into effect for the final 13 days of the meet, beginning with the Thursday, March 11, card. The draw for that card is March 4.

“Our handle has continued to be strong, and we are pleased to be able to raise purses for the third time this meet,” Fair Grounds’ racing secretary Scott Jones said. “We’d once again like to thank the owners, trainers and fans who have been supporting our day-to-day racing product. $60,000 for a maiden special weight pot is a very competitive number to get to.”

To make up for the weather-related Feb. 11 cancellation, Fair Grounds has also added Wednesday, March 24th, to the live racing calendar. In addition, in order to accommodate the NBC broadcast, post time for the 149th Louisiana Derby Day card on Saturday, March 20th has been pushed back to 12:20 p.m. EDT.