The Black Gold Stakes at
Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC.
As early as 1838 Bernard de Marigny, Ju ...
in
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
is a race on
turf
Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls.
In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...
for three-year-old
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horses. First run in 1958, the race is named in honor of the
1924 Kentucky Derby winner and
U. S. Racing Hall of Fame stallion
Black Gold. It is tradition that the winning jockey of the race places flowers on the horse's grave in the infield.
Black Gold's profile at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
Retrieved August 21, 2018
Historical notes
Through 1978 the race was open to horses age three and older.
Run on turf in 1998, 2000-2004, 2008-2009, 2012-2016, 2018. Scheduled to run on turf in 1999 and 2005 though 2007 but weather conditions can affect the safety of the turf and as such each of the races was switched to the dirt track .
In 2006, the Black Gold Stakes was run at Louisiana Downs
Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack is a horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It i ...
in Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City ( ) is a city in Bossier Parish in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana in the United States. It is the second most populous city in the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan statistical area. In 2020, it had a ...
.
Race distances
*6 F : 1958-1997, 2011
*5.5 F : 1998-2000, 2007-2010
*7.5 F : 2001-2004, 2012-2013, 2015-2016
*8 F (1 mile) : 2005, 2018
*8.32 F (1 mile, 70 yards) : 2006
Records
Speed record: (at most frequent distance of 6 furlongs)
*1:09.40 - Smoke Glacken
Smoke Glacken (foaled 1994 in Maryland, died April 21, 2016) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Sired by Two Punch, a son of the important sire Mr. Prospector, his dam was Majesty's Crown, a daughter of Irish stakes winner Magester ...
(1997)
Most wins:
* 3 - Honey Jay (1972, 1973, 1974)
Most wins by a jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
:
* 4 - Robby Albarado
Robby J. Albarado (born September 11, 1973, in Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 10 and progressed to riding at bush tracks in his native Louisiana by the age of 12. After turning ...
(2005, 2006, 2007, 2016)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 4 - Jack Van Berg
John Charles "Jack" Van Berg (June 7, 1936 in Columbus, Nebraska – December 27, 2017) was an American Hall of Fame horse trainer. Born into a horse racing family, his father was the Hall of Fame trainer, Marion Van Berg. Both father and son have ...
(1965, 1966, 1967, 1971)
Most wins by an owner:
* 4 - Marion Van Berg (1965, 1966, 1967, 1971)
Winners
References
{{reflist
Fair Grounds Race Course
Ungraded stakes races in the United States
Horse races in New Orleans
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
Open mile category horse races
Open sprint category horse races
Recurring sporting events established in 1958
1958 establishments in Louisiana