Fair Grounds

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), which in recent seasons has ended racing at such high-profile tracks as Arlington and Calder over alleged profitability issues, on Tuesday threatened to pull out of Fair Grounds over a recent court ruling that bars it from using a certain type of slot machine, saying the ban would cause it to lose money at the New Orleans track and 13 off-track-betting outlets it owns. Reporting by Anthony McAuley and Tyler Bridges at NOLA.com first broke the news, which emerged out of an "emergency" Louisiana Racing Commission...

The last week of preps for the GI Kentucky Oaks is upon us. The GI Ashland Stakes will be run Friday at Keeneland on opening day and Aqueduct will offer the GIII Gazelle Stakes the next day. The Gazelle came up predictably weak, but the Ashland has some intriguing contenders that could crack the top three or four come Friday. Last week, Quietside (Malibu Moon) was a convincing winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn and Five G (Vekoma) never looked back to win the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park...

During his 22 years serving in the Kentucky State Senate, Damon Thayer was known as a fierce advocate for the horse racing industry. Thayer decided not to run for re-election in 2024, but that doesn't mean that he stopped trying to help the sport, using his considerable political acumen to do so. Thayer has accepted the job as the senior advisor to the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative--a group formed to try to fight off efforts to decouple the racing and casino and card room licenses in Florida. To talk about his...

GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) was one of several shippers who arrived at Churchill Downs early Tuesday morning from Fair Grounds. "We thought he'd run a better race in the Louisiana Derby with the extra distance and he took the step forwarded he needed," said Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. "He has a great mind to him. I think he ran a solid race but there is more in him." CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's John Hancock (Constitution), who finished fourth in the Louisiana Derby,...

In his first season in New Orleans, jockey Jose Ortiz was the runaway winner of the jockeys' premiership at the Fair Grounds, while Joe Sharp and Godolphin took home honors as leading trainer and owner, respectively. Ortiz rode the winners of 98 races during the meet, the most recorded by any jockey since Florent Geroux accumulated the same number of winners during the 2016-2017 season. Ortiz finished some 43 winner clear of Jareth Loveberry, with Ben Curtis in third on 49 winners. "I've had huge support from the trainers and...

Six starts. Six wins. Godolphin homebred Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) stamped herself as a force to be reckoned with in Louisville on the first Friday in May with yet another impressive win, this time in Saturday's GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Already a winner over the track and distance in February's GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes, the 2-5 favorite picked up her fourth straight win over the 1 1/16-mile distance. Breaking with the speed from the outside, Good Cher assumed a good stalking just off the pace as Ahavah (City of Light)...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Lady Claypoole in the Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita earlier in March.   Santa Ana Stakes For Lady Claypoole Abbondanza Racing and Omar Aldabbagh's Lady Claypoole (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) earned her first stakes win in the GIII Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita on Mar. 15 (video). Trained by Richard Baltas, the 5-year-old mare was bred by Aston House Stud. The eighth...

Touchuponastar (Star Guitar) could have won the Sunday stakes named for his sire practically by just showing up, but instead, connections took the path of greater resistance and allowed him to take his chance against the likes of Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in Saturday's GII New Orleans Classic Stakes. Owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme's Set-Hut LLC, the Louisiana-bred played catch me if you can in front of a partisan crowd in the Big Easy and catch him...

8th-Fair Grounds, $53,800, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 3-21, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.31, fm, 3/4 length. HEY BERTIE (f, 3, Kantharos--Believe in Bertie {MSW & MGSP, $413,482}, by Langfuhr) debuted a winner by 1 1/2 lengths in an off-the-turf sprint in New Orleans Jan. 17. After firing a bullet on the fast track in the Big Easy Mar. 14 (4f, :47.80, 1/114), the filly was well-backed as the 9-5 choice here. The homebred bided her time near the rear of the field up the backstretch as a scramble for the...

A year after recording a GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby-GII Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks double with Catching Freedom and Tarifa, trainer Brad Cox will saddle the morning-line favorites in both races Saturday. The rail-drawn John Hancock (Constitution), a game wire-to-wire winner over next-out GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty (Speightstown) in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 8, will put his two-for-two record on the line in the Louisiana Derby. The WinStar Farm and CHC, Inc. colorbearer is the 7-2 program favorite. The stretch-running...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's pair of GI Kentucky Derby preps--the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks. GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby - After being offered in a pair of maiden claimers at two, #9 Instant Replay (Maximum Security) really elevated his game for Brad Cox in his 3-year-old debut, closing impressively (albeit into a hot pace) from last of six to win with authority (came home in :31) by five lengths in an optional claimer at Fair Grounds Feb. 17. He should...

NBC Sports will present live coverage of the GII Louisiana Derby from Fair Grounds Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock. The hour-long program will also feature coverage of the GII Fair Grounds Oaks and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks from Turfway Park. Ahmed Fareed will host Saturday's coverage alongside analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss. The Louisiana Derby begins three consecutive Saturday afternoons with Kentucky Derby prep coverage live on CNBC and Peacock, continuing with the GI Florida Derby and GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 29 and the...