Because of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the 134th Fair
Grounds meet will be held at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana. The
37-day meet begins Saturday and continues through January 22. Racing will
take place Thursdays through Sundays with first post each day at 12:25
p.m. (CST).
On Tuesday, Fair Grounds announced an increase of more than $500,000 to its
purse schedule due to better than expected business levels at five Fair Grounds
affiliated off-track betting facilities in the New Orleans area that reopened on
October 26.
Overnight purses will be boosted $1,000 per race. Additionally, the four
stakes races on the January 14 “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day — the Risen Star
S. (G3), Silverbulletday S. (G3), Bayou Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) and Duncan F. Kenner Breeders’ Cup S. — have been increased to $250,000 each.
As a result of the increases, Fair Grounds predicts an average daily purse
distribution of approximately $315,000, the largest ever for a meet in Louisiana. Fair Grounds will offer 34 stakes races in 37 days, worth
a combined $3.5 million.
The $50,000 Gentilly S. for Louisiana-bred two-year-olds at one mile on the
turf is the opening-day feature. Other highlights include Louisiana Champions Day on December 10, the $400,000
New Orleans H. (G2) on January 7, and the $200,000 Fair Grounds Breeders’ Cup H.
on January 21.