Fair Grounds Meet Set to Start Nov. 21

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Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will kick off its 143rd season of Thoroughbred racing on Friday, Nov. 21.
 
The 81-day meet includes 47 stakes worth combined purses of $5.73 million, headlined by Louisiana Derby Day March 28. 
 
The majority of the Fair Grounds stakes schedule takes place on four banner days. Louisiana Champions Day on Dec. 13 is comprised of 11 stakes worth $1.1 million for Louisiana-breds.
 
Over the course of the meet, Fair Grounds presents 10 graded stakes races in multiple divisions beginning on Jan. 17 with Road to the Derby Kickoff Day. 
 
Comprised of five stakes worth a total of $560,000, Road to the Derby Kickoff Day is highlighted by the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (gr. III). The Lecomte is the first of three graded races at Fair Grounds for 3-year olds that offer qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) to be run at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. The Lecomte offers 10 qualifying points to the winner, along with four points for second, two points for third, and one point for the fourth-place finisher. 
 
The $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes for 3-year old fillies hoping to race their way to the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs will offer qualifying points for the Oaks on an identical 10-4-2-1 scale as the Lecomte. The 29th running of the $100,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap (gr. III) for older turf horses will also be run on Kickoff day along with the $75,000 Louisiana Handicap for older horses on the main track and the $60,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap for older fillies and mares on the turf.
 
Louisiana Derby Preview Day consists of six stakes worth $945,000 on Feb. 21 and is highlighted by a pair of graded stakes offering qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.
 
The $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II), the second of three local preps for Kentucky Derby hopefuls, offers a reward of 50-20-10-5 points towards the Kentucky Derby to the top four finishers. The same 50-20-10-5 bonus will be available towards the Kentucky Oaks in the $175,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year old fillies.
 
The $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) for older horses on the main track, the $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap (gr. III) for older horses on the turf, the $60,000 Bayou Handicap for older fillies and mares on the turf, and the $60,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes for older sprinters round out the stakes offerings on Louisiana Derby Preview Day. 
 
Louisiana Derby Day on closing weekend brings down the curtain on the season's stakes program with eight stakes worth $2.12 million, highlighted by Fair Grounds' marquee event, the 102nd running of the $750,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II). The final local chance to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, the Louisiana Derby offers 100 qualifying points to the winner, 40 points to second, 20 points to third, and 10 points to the fourth-place finisher. For the second year in a row, the 2014 Louisiana Derby produced the second-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, when Commanding Curve ran second to California Chrome.
 
The $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) once again produced the Kentucky Oaks winner in 2014 when Untapable scored an easy victory in that race, continuing the long string of successes by fillies who have won the Fair Grounds Oaks in that Kentucky centerpiece. Six of the last ten Fair Grounds Oaks winners have captured the Kentucky Oaks in their next start. The Fair Grounds Oaks offers a 100-40-20-10 slate of Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.
 
Other stakes offered on Louisiana Derby Day include: the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) for older horses on the dirt, the $300,000 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. II) for older horses  on the turf, the $75,000 Crescent City Derby for Louisiana-bred sophomores on the dirt, the $75,000 Crescent City Oaks for Louisiana-bred 3-year old fillies on the main track, the $60,000 Star Guitar Stakes for older Louisiana-breds on the dirt, and the $60,000 Costa Rising Stakes for 3-and-up Louisiana-breds dashing on the turf. 
 
The remainder of the stakes schedule can be found here