Louisiana Derby to Remain at 1 3/16 Miles Next Year
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
Wells Bayou defeats Ny Traffic in the Louisiana Derby
The 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby will again be a little longer via the New Orleans route.
In releasing its 2020-21 stakes schedule Oct. 12, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots announced its lengthier series of preps for 3-year-olds at the track would continue, citing deep entries when introduced at extended distances this year. Those three Derby preps are the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte Stakes (G3), the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2), and the 1 3/16-mile Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2).
They will maintain their purses from 2020, contested for $200,000, $400,000, and $1 million, respectively. All three are official Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) qualifiers, with the Louisiana Derby offering the highest points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to its top four finishers.
"Lengthening the distances of all three of our Road to the Derby races proved to be quite popular with the horsemen," Fair Grounds racing secretary Scott Jones said in a release. "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."
For its meet, Fair Grounds will offer 51 stakes worth about $7.05 million in purses. Its 76-day meet begins Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, and ends March 28.
The upcoming stakes schedule differs little from past seasons, though some $75,000 races from last year's slate are absent. The track's major races are unchanged.
Fair Grounds again plans to stack its best races together on days in which its major 3-year-old races are contested.
The track's biggest day of its meet is March 20, Louisiana Derby Day, which will feature eight stakes worth about $2.4 million. One of its leading preps for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), will be a part of that program.
Other stakes-laden cards are Jan. 16 when the Lecomte is contested and Feb. 13 when the Risen Star is the headline race.
The track's deepest stakes programs this year will be Dec. 12, Louisiana Champions Day, and Dec. 19, when six stakes races worth $75,000 apiece are on tap.
| Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Stakes Schedule | ||||
|
Date
|
Purse | Stakes | Conditions | Distance |
| 11/26/2020 | $125,000 | Thanksgiving Classic | 3YO/UP | Six Furlongs |
| 12/5/2020 | $75,000 | Pan Zareta Stakes | 3YO/UP F&M | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 12/11/2020 | $50,000 | The Magic City Classic (AL-Bred) | 3YO/UP | One Mile |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Qh Juvenile Stakes (G2) (LA-Bred) | 2YO | 350 Yards |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Qh Derby (G3) (LA-Bred) | 3YO | 400 Yards |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Qh Classic (G2) (LA-Bred) | 4YO/UP | 440 Yards |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Ladies Turf (LA-Bred) | 3YO/UP F&M | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Juvenile (LA-Bred) | 2YO | Six Furlongs |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Sprint (LA-Bred) | 3YO/UP | Six Furlongs |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Ladies Sprint (LA-Bred) | 3YO/UP F&M | Six Furlongs |
| 12/12/2020 | $150,000 | LA Champions Day Lassie (LA-Bred) | 2YO Fillies | Six Furlongs |
| 12/12/2020 | $100,000 | LA Champions Day Classic (LA-Bred) | 3YO/UP | 1 1/8 Miles |
| 12/12/2020 | $75,000 | LA Champions Day Turf (LA-Bred) | 3YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 12/19/2020 | $75,000 | Tenacious Stakes | 3YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 12/19/2020 | $75,000 | Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes | 3YO/UP | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 12/19/2020 | $75,000 | Blushing KD Stakes | 3YO/UP F&M | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 12/19/2020 | $75,000 | Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes | 3YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 12/19/2020 | $75,000 | Letellier Memorial Stakes | 2YO Fillies | Six Furlongs |
| 12/19/2020 | $75,000 | Sugar Bowl Stakes | 2YO | Six Furlongs |
| 12/26/2020 | $75,000 | Joseph E.”Spanky” Broussard Memorial Stakes | 3YO/UP F&M | 1 Mile 70 Yards |
| 12/26/2020 | $75,000 | Woodchopper | 3YO | 1 Mile* (T) |
| 12/26/2020 | $75,000 | Pago Hop | 3YO Fillies | 1 Mile* (T) |
| 12/31/2020 | $100,000 | La Futurity (Males) (LA-Bred) | 2YO Colts & Geldings | Six Furlongs |
| 12/31/2020 | $100,000 | La Futurity (Females) (LA-Bred) | 2YO Fillies | Six Furlongs |
| 1/9/2021 | $75,000 | Nelson J.Menard Memorial Stakes | 4YO/UP F&M | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 1/16/2021 | $200,000 | Lecomte Stakes (G3) | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 1/16/2021 | $150,000 | Silverbulletday | 3YO Fillies | 1 Mile 70 Yards |
| 1/16/2021 | $100,000 | Duncan F. Kenner Stakes | 4YO/UP | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 1/16/2021 | $125,000 | Louisiana Stakes (G3) | 4YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 1/16/2021 | $125,000 | Col E.R. Bradley Stakes | 4YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 1/16/2021 | $100,000 | Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes | 4YO/UP F&M | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 2/13/2021 | $200,000 | Mineshaft Stakes (G3) | 4YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 2/13/2021 | $400,000 | Risen Star Stakes (G2) | 3YO | 1 1/8 Miles |
| 2/13/2021 | $300,000 | Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 2/13/2021 | $150,000 | Fair Grounds Stakes (G2) | 4YO/UP | 1 1/8 Miles* (T) |
| 2/13/2021 | $100,000 | Colonel Power Stakes | 4YO/UP | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 2/13/2021 | $100,000 | Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes | 4YO/UP F&M | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 2/16/2021 | $75,000 | Mardi Gras Stakes | 4YO/UP F&M | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 2/27/2021 | $75,000 | Black Gold Stakes | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 2/27/2021 | $60,000 | Dixie Poker Ace Stakes (LA-Bred) | 4YO/UP | 1 Mile* (T) |
| 3/6/2021 | $75,000 | Allen Lacombe Memorial Stakes | 3YO Fillies | 1 Mile* (T) |
| 3/6/2021 | $60,000 | Red Camelia Stakes (LA-Bred) | 4YO/UP F&M | 1 Mile* (T) |
| 3/20/2021 | $100,000 | Tom Benson Memorial Stakes | 4YO/UP F&M | 1 1/16 Miles* (T) |
| 3/20/2021 | $75,000 | Costa Rising Stakes (LA-Bred) | 4YO/UP | 5 1/2 Furlongs* (T) |
| 3/20/2021 | $300,000 | Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) | 4YO/UP | 1 1/8 Miles* (T) |
| 3/20/2021 | $400,000 | New Orleans Classic (G2) | 4YO/UP | 1 1/8 Miles |
| 3/20/2021 | $400,000 | Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 3/20/2021 | $1,000,000 | Louisiana Derby (G2) | 3YO | 1 3/16 Miles |
| 3/20/2021 | $75,000 | Crescent City Derby (LA-Bred) | 3YO | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 3/20/2021 | $75,000 | Crescent City Oaks (LA-Bred) | 3YO Fillies | 1 Mile 70 Yards |
| 3/27/2021 | $60,000 | Star Guitar Stakes (LA-Bred) | 4YO/UP | 1 1/16 Miles |
| 3/27/2021 | $60,000 | Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes (LA-Bred) | 4YO/UP F&M | 1 Mile 70 Yards |
| * (T) denotes turf course. Turf distances are approximate. | ||||