Saturday is the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds. The 2-year-old Stakes contest is the first of four Kentucky Derby preps at Fair Grounds. The mile & 1/16th Gun Runner will offer a total of 21 Derby qualifying points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers. Here is a brief look at Saturday’s field: 1. MESQUITE [ML 9-2] Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Trainer: Cherie … Continue reading Who Wins The Gun Runner Stakes?
A new addition to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series of races is the Gun Runner Stakes. The mile & 1/16th contest at Fair Grounds was inaugurated in 2021. The race is named in honor of GUN RUNNER, the 2017 American Horse of the Year and a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee. The 5th edition of the Gun Runner is Saturday and is the first in a series … Continue reading The Gun Runner Stakes
Live racing returns to Fairgrounds on Thursday (11/20) as the New Orleans racetrack hosts its 154th season. The 2025-26 meet will encompass 70 race days that run through March 22nd. As always, the winter session at Fairgrounds offers racing fans and handicappers some of the best wagering to be found. The track will unveil a renovated paddock area for the 2025-26 meet as well as a new lounge overlooking … Continue reading NOLA Racing Resumes
On Saturday Fair Grounds hosts its fourth and final qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby. Ten 3-year-olds have been entered for the $1 million dollar, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. The top five finishers in the contest will earn Derby points, distributed on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis. At a distance of 1 3/16 miles the Louisiana Derby is the longest North American qualifying race for the 1 … Continue reading Who Wins The Louisiana Derby?
The Louisiana Derby at Fairgrounds is Saturday and there are some undeniable historic tendencies in the race- which could help bettors decide a Winner. Reviewing the past 15 years of Louisiana Derby might simplify the handicapping process. Here then are some trends from the recent history of the LD which may help to narrow the field: Look For Tactical Speed: 11 of the last 15 … Continue reading Louisiana Derby Betting Trends
As far as Kentucky Derby prep races are concerned, there aren’t many older than the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds. The historic race dates back to 1894, which makes the Louisiana Derby almost as old as the Kentucky Derby itself. The conditions of the Louisiana Derby have varied widely through the years. It’s been held over four different distances, most recently shifting to 1 3⁄16 miles in 2020. … Continue reading The Louisiana Derby
The Risen Star Stakes is the feature race at Fairgrounds on Saturday. But the undercard has the Rachel Alexandra Stakes in which the Winner is awarded 50 qualifying points toward a spot in the Kentucky Oaks. Here is a brief look at the field for the Grade 2, $300,000 dollar, mile & 1/16 contest: 1. ANONIMA [ML 6-1] Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Ken McPeek. Has … Continue reading Rachel Alexandra Stakes
On Saturday, Fair Grounds will host the $500,000 dollar, Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes. It’s the first race of the season to offer the Winner 50 qualifying points toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby. The contest will award a total of 105 points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. The race was first held in 1973 as the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes. In 1989, it was renamed in honor of … Continue reading Risen Star Stakes Historic Stars
Saturday is the Grade 3, $250,000 dollar Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The race is the second of four stops at the New Orleans venue on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. For a race that carried a mere $40,000 purse as recently as 1996, it’s impressive how quickly this contest has developed into an important stop on the Derby Trail. The race is named in honor of … Continue reading The Lecomte Stakes
Prior to 2013 the traditional qualifying factor for horses wanting to participate in the Kentucky Derby was total Graded Stakes purse earnings- the more money an eligible horse Won, the increased chance of entering the starting gate. But beginning in 2013 Churchill Downs refined the classic earnings method in favor of a points based system which revamped the traditional prep races. These prep races were officially … Continue reading Ease On Down The Road (To The Kentucky Derby)
