Fair Grounds to Withhold Millions from Purses
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Citing pending litigation from Louisiana Quarter Horse owners, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots announced Sept. 17 that it will withhold $2.7 million in purse supplements at the upcoming meet.
The most visible result of that withholding will be the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), where last year's $1 million purse has been cut to $600,000. The track, which is owned by Churchill Downs Inc., said the stakes program will be reduced by more than $2 million while overnight purses will decline about $37,000 a day to $186,000.
According to a Fair Grounds release, Quarter Horse owners are challenging the distribution of video poker purses, claiming that funds traditionally distributed during the Thoroughbred meet now be paid to the Quarter Horse group. The Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association also has been named as a defendant in the suit as it makes the distributions of purses to horsemen and represents their interests.
The track said video poker purses have historically been paid toward Thoroughbred racing pre-dating the existence of Quarter Horse racing at Fair Grounds.
By regulatory mandate, the current purse structure is a compilation of the projected handle generated during the race meet and annual off-track betting racing activities, plus annual purse supplements from local slots and video poker operations.
2014-2015 Thoroughbred Racing Season Stakes Schedule
Fair Grounds Race Course
| DATE | PURSE | STAKES | RUNNING | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE |
| NOV 27 |
$60,000 |
THANKSGIVING HANDICAP |
89TH |
3YO/UP |
6 F |
|
DEC 12 |
$25,000 |
KUDZU STAKES |
10TH |
2YO AL BRED |
1/2 F |
|
DEC 12 |
$50,000 |
MAGIC CITY CLASSIC STAKES |
3RD |
3YO/UP ALL BRED |
1 MILE 70 YARDS |
|
DEC 13 |
LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY |
||||
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY QH JUVENILE STAKES |
24TH |
2YO LA. BRED QH
|
350 YARDS |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY QH DERBY |
24TH |
3YO LA. BRED QH |
400 YARDS |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY QH CLASSIC STAKES |
24TH |
4YO/UP LA. BRED QH |
440 YARDS |
|
|
$50,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY STARTER HANDICAP STAKES |
24TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED |
1 MILE 70 YARDS |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY JUVENILE STAKES |
24TH |
2YO LA. BRED C&G |
6 F |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY LASSIE STAKES |
24TH |
2YO LA. BRED FILLIES |
6 F |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY SPRINT STAKES |
24TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED |
6 F |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY LADIES SPRINT STAKES |
9TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED F&M |
6 F |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY TURF STAKES |
24TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED |
1 1/16 MILES* (T) |
|
|
$100,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY LADIES STAKES |
24TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED F&M |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$150,000 |
LA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC STAKES |
24TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED |
1 1/8 MILES |
|
|
DEC 20 |
SANTA SUPER SATURDAY |
||||
|
$50,000 |
LETELLIER MEMORIAL STAKES |
55TH |
2YO FILLIES |
6 F |
|
|
$50,000 |
SUGAR BOWL STAKES |
65TH |
2YO C&G |
6 F |
|
|
DEC 27 |
$60,000 |
PAGO HOP STAKES |
29TH |
3YO FILLIES |
1 MILE* (T) |
|
$60,000 |
WOODCHOPPER STAKES |
28TH |
3YO |
1 MILE* (T) |
|
|
DEC 31 |
NEW YEARS EVE |
||||
|
$100,000 |
LOUISIANA FUTURITY |
48TH |
2YO LA. BRED FILLIES |
6 F |
|
|
$100,000 |
LOUISIANA FUTURITY |
51ST |
2YO LA. BRED C&G |
6 F |
|
|
JAN 3 |
$60,000 |
BONAPAW STAKES |
9TH |
4YO/UP |
5 1/2 F* (T)
|
|
JAN 10 |
$60,000 |
PAN ZARETA STAKES |
50TH |
4YO/UP F & M |
5 1/2 F* (T) |
|
JAN 17 |
ROAD TO THE DERBY KICKOFF DAY |
||||
|
$60,000 |
MARIE G. KRANTZ MEMORIAL STAKES |
20TH |
4YO/UP F & M |
1 1/16 MILES* (T) |
|
|
$75,000 |
LOUISIANA HANDICAP |
69TH |
4YO/UP |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$100,000 |
SILVERBULLETDAY STAKES |
23RD |
3YO FILLIES |
1 MILE 70 YARDS |
|
|
$100,000 |
COL. E. R. BRADLEY HANDICAP GRADE III |
29TH |
4YO/UP |
1 1/16 MILES* (T) |
|
|
$150,000 |
LECOMTE STAKES GRADE III |
71ST |
3YO |
1 MILE 70 YARDS |
|
|
FEB 17 |
$60,000 |
MARDI GRAS STAKES |
71ST |
4YO/UP F & M |
6 F |
|
FEB 21 |
LOUISIANA DERBY PREVIEW DAY |
||||
|
$60,000 |
BAYOU HANDICAP |
47TH |
4YO/UP FILLIES & MARES |
1 1/16 MILES* (T) |
|
|
$100,000 |
FAIR GROUNDS HANDICAP GRADE III |
28TH |
4YO/UP |
1 1/8 MILES* (T) |
|
|
$100,000 |
MINESHAFT HANDICAP GRADE III |
30TH |
4YO/UP |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$150,000 |
RACHEL ALEXANDRA STAKES GRADE III |
34TH |
3YO FILLIES |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$60,000 |
DUNCAN F. KENNER STAKES |
62ND |
3YO/UP |
6 F |
|
|
$300,000 |
RISEN STAR STAKES GRADE II |
42ND |
3YO |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
FEB 28 |
$60,000 |
DIXIE POKER ACE STAKES |
35TH |
3YO/UP LA. BRED |
1 MILE* (T) |
|
MAR 6 |
$30,000 |
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI OWNERS/BREEDERS STAKES |
20TH |
3YO (MISS. OWNERS) |
6 F |
|
MAR 28 |
LOUISIANA DERBY DAY |
||||
|
$60,000 |
STAR GUITAR STAKES |
6TH |
4YO/UP LA. BRED |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$75,000 |
CRESCENT CITY OAKS |
10TH |
3YO LA. BRED FILLIES |
1 MILE 70 YARDS |
|
|
$75,000 |
CRESCENT CITY DERBY |
43RD |
3YO LA. BRED |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$200,000 |
MERVIN H. MUNIZ, JR. MEMORIAL HANDICAP GRADE II |
23RD |
4YO/UP |
1 1/8 MILES* (T) |
|
|
$300,000 |
NEW ORLEANS HANDICAP GRADE II |
90TH |
4YO/UP |
1 1/8 MILES |
|
|
$300,000 |
FAIR GROUNDS OAKS GRADE II |
48TH |
3YO FILLIES |
1 1/16 MILES |
|
|
$600,000 |
LOUISIANA DERBY GRADE II |
102ND |
3YO |
1 1/8 MILES |
|
* ALL TURF DISTANCES ARE APPROXIMATE.