Fair Grounds sets 2020-21 meet with 51 stakes races
Fair Grounds Race Course will offer 51 stakes worth a combined $7.055 million during the upcoming 76-day 2020-21 Thoroughbred racing season, which is set to begin Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26.
The “Louisiana Derby Day” card on March 20 will feature eight stakes worth a total of $2.425 million, including the 108th running of the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby for 3-year-olds.
Previously run over nine furlongs on dirt, the distance of Louisiana Derby was extended to 1 3/16 miles last season. The third and final local prep on the Road to the $3 million Kentucky Derby, the race is worth 100-40-20-10 points to the top four finishers. Run at 1 1/16 miles, the 53rd running of the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies offers the same number of points en route to the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks.
“Lengthening the distances of all three of our Road to the Derby races proved to be quite popular with the horsemen,” said Fair Grounds racing secretary Scott Jones. “The Lecomte drew 14 entries, the Risen Star had 23 entries and was split into two divisions, and the Louisiana Derby had an overflow field. Our progressive schedule of 3-year-old races for both the boys and girls gives horsemen a great opportunity to develop their horses and compete for excellent purses.”
A pair of nine furlong, high-impact stakes for older horses are also scheduled on the Louisiana Derby Day program — the $400,000 New Orleans Classic (G2) and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Stakes (G2), to be run over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. In addition, four undercard stakes are slated for the lucrative card, including the $100,000 Tom Benson Memorial for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on grass and a trio of Louisiana-bred events — the $75,000 Costa Rising Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, the $75,000 Crescent City Derby for 3-year-old males at 1 1/16 miles and the $75,000 Crescent City Oaks for females at 1 mile and 70 yards.
On Jan. 16, the Road to the Derby Kickoff Day features a pair of key 3-year-old events — the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3), which was extended from a mile to 1 1/16 miles last season, and the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes for fillies at 1 mile and 70 yards. The top four finishers in each race receive 10-4-2-1 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, respectively.
Four stakes for older horses will also be presented on the Jan. 16 program, including the $125,000 Louisiana Stakes, which was elevated to Grade 3 status and received a $25,000 purse increase, at 1 1/16 miles; the $125,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes at 1 1/16 miles over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course; the $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf; and the $100,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on grass.
On Feb. 13, Louisiana Derby Preview Day features a pair of key 3-year-old stakes — the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2), which was extended from 1 1/16 to 1 1/8 miles last season, and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2), for fillies to be contested over 1 1/16 miles. The top four finishers receive 50-20-10-5 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, respectively.
The Rachel Alexandra has produced the last two of the last three Kentucky Oaks winners in Monomoy Girl and Serengeti Empress, and 2014 victress Untapable also took down the Run for the Lilies. The 2020 third place finisher Swiss Skydiver has gone on to win five graded stakes, including the Alabama (G1) in advance of a runner-up finish in in the Oaks and the Preakness (G1) against the boys. With such a stellar history of recent participants, Fair Grounds remains hopeful the Rachel Alexandra will soon achieve Grade 1 status.
Four stakes for older horses will also be presented on the Feb. 13 program — the $200,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles, the $150,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) for at nine furlongs on turf, the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf and the $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
The Dec. 19 card offers a six $75,000 stakes. Four of the races are for older horses — the Tenacious Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, the Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, the Blushing K.D. for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, and the Buddy Diliberto Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The other two are six-furlong events for juveniles — the Sugar Bowl Stakes for the boys and the Letellier Memorial Stakes for the girls.
Louisiana Champions Day will be held on Dec. 14. With races run over various divisions and distances on both dirt and turf, the program features 10 stakes restricted to Louisiana-breds. Each Louisiana Champions Day stakes is worth $100,000 with the exception of the Louisiana Champions Day Classic, which carries a $150,000 purse.
The purse for the opening day Thanksgiving Classic for older male sprinters has been increased by $25,000 to $125,000. The $60,000 Shantel Lanerie, to be run on March 21, has been repurposed as a route race for older Louisiana-bred fillies and mares.
The 76-day, 2020-2021 Fair Grounds racing season runs through Sunday, March 28. Regular post time will be 2 p.m. ET. The exceptions are Louisiana Derby Preview Day (Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. ET) and Louisiana Derby Day (March 20 at noon ET).