Thoroughbred horse racing returns to New Orleans on Thursday when opens its 154th race meeting at this historic Gentilly oval.
The 2025-26 meet that seemed imperiled months ago will kick off with a nine-race card, starting with first post at 12:45 p.m.
The meet was when the track’s owner, Churchill Downs Inc., threatened to pull out of h over court rulings that bar it from using a certain type of slot machine, saying that without those games it would be unable to turn a profit and run a successful racing season. Track executives and state officials eventually reached after weeks of intense negotiations and political intervention.
The meet will feature 70 racing days and 56 stakes worth $8.65 million, highlighted by the Grade II $1 million h Derby on March 21.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby series of stakes races for 3-year-old colts again will highlight the meet. The Grade III Lecomte (Jan. 17), Grade II Risen Star (Feb. 14) and Grade II h Derby (March 21) have a combined $1.875 million in purses.
Jose Ortiz celebrates after riding More Than Looks to victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile horse race in Del Mar, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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Star j returns to defend his riding crown. In his first Fair Grounds meet a year ago, Ortiz dominated the leading jockey competition with 97 wins in 340 starts. The 33-year-old Puerto Rico native won the Eclipse Award as the nation's leading jockey in 2017.
Brian Hernandez Jr., one of the track's most popular riders, also is back. The Lafayette native recently returned to racing after missing seven weeks of competition because of injuries suffered from a Sept. 21 spill at Churchill Downs that left him with seven broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung and a lacerated liver.
The jockey colony also will include Ben Curtis, Jareth Loveberry, Axel Concepcion, Mitchell Murrill and newcomer Paco Lopez, who was ranked among the nation's winningest riders with 304 wins entering the meet.
Trainer Joe Sharp will return to defend his leading trainer title from a year ago. He will be challenged by Brad Cox, Steve Asmussen, Tom Amoss, Brendan Walsh, Cherie DeVaux and Kenny McPeek. Also back are longtime Fair Grounds conditioners Shane Wilson, Dallas Stewart, Bret Calhoun, Al Stall and Mike Stidham.
Emerging horsemen such as Whit Beckman, Lindsay Schultz, Brittany Russell, Rob Atras and Adrianne DeVaux will expand their presence on the backside.
The first two weeks of the meet will feature racing on Thursdays through Saturday. On Dec. 7, the racing schedule will expand to include Sunday racing through the end of the meet on March 22.
The meet could be extended by two racing days in March, if recommended by the h HBPA and approved by the h Racing Commission. Purses for maiden special weight races have been set at $54,000, while allowance races will range from $55,000 to $58,000.
Fans and patrons also will notice some facility improvements that took place this summer. Among the track upgrades are a renovated paddock, featuring a new walking surface, horse sculpture and coin fountain, with proceeds benefiting equine rehabilitation charities; an improved backdrop in the winner’s circle for post-race photos; and a new bar adjacent to the paddock.
Bettors also will have a new wager to consider at this year's meet. The Fair Grounds will debut a 20-cent minimum Pick 6 wager called the Crescent City 6. The Crescent City 6, which requires gamblers to pick the winners of the final six races on the card, will be offered every live racing day and feature a player-friendly 15% takeout.
The meet, as always, will host a range of popular events for fans of all ages, including exotic animal races (Dec. 6 and Jan. 13), wiener dog races (Feb. 28) and a college-themed day of twilight races (March 14).