Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Fair Grounds Reopens for 135th Racing Season
Posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006
(Edited from official Fair Grounds Release) Fair Grounds Race Course, one of the country’s oldest race tracks that took a beating after Hurricane Katrina, re-opens on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006 for it 135th Racing Season.
On Thursday, the opens its doors for the first time since Katrina peeled off the roof and two walls of its grandstand, flooded its racing surfaces and backstretch, devastated an entire region and forced Fair Grounds to shift last winter???s meet to Harrah???s Louisiana Downs in Bossier City.
In a tradition that dates back generations, Fair Grounds opens its 81-day season on Thanksgiving, a setting that is sure to provide an emotional homecoming for fans, horsemen and employees alike.
When fans return, they will see an improved facility from the 2004-05 season. Virtually every piece of the clubhouse is new ??? flooring, furniture, millwork and televisions. In fact, the entire facility has been improved electronically with the addition of 600 flat-screen TVs.
Purses are projected to average $350,000 per day, the highest ever for a meet in New Orleans. The stakes program features 64 events, beginning with the $75,000 Thanksgiving Handicap on opening day. The $7.7 million in stakes purse offerings and 10 graded stakes, led by the $600,000 Grade II Louisiana Derby, both are records.
The major events introduced two seasons ago have grown for 2006-07. ???Road to the Derby??? Kickoff Day on Jan. 13, Louisiana Derby Preview Day Feb. 10 and Louisiana Derby Day March 10 all will feature five stakes. The 16th edition of Louisiana Champions Day on Dec. 9 has 11 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse stakes for state-breds, up from 10 in recent years. Louisiana Lagniappe Weekend, run for the first time last year at Louisiana Downs, will offer five stakes each day on March 24-25.
The racing schedule is similar to recent years, with a regular Thursday-through-Sunday schedule and the addition of Monday racing in January and February. The meet runs through March 25, 2007. Post time is 12:25 p.m. each day.
"Fair Grounds Reopens for 135th Racing Season" was posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006 at 11:24 am and is filed under Fair Grounds, Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Saturday, November 25th, 2006 2:36 pm By YVONNE M NELSON
I just wanted to see what’s happening there with the races ect. sports u know.