The Fair Grounds Stakes is a Grade III

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for four-year-olds and older run over a distance of about miles (9

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

) on the

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 ...

annually in mid-February at the

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 ...

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. It currently offers a purse of $150,000.

History

The event was inaugurated on 21 February 1988 as the featured tenth race called the Fair Grounds Budweiser Breeders' Cup with sponsorship from

Budweiser Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. ''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...

and the

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

with handicap conditions for three-year-olds and older at the distance of about one and one-eighth miles. The event was won by the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

bred five-year-old Top Guest in a time of 1:54. Top Guest had previously won the

Stockholm Cup International The Stockholm Cup International is a Conditions races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Sweden open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Bro Park Racecourse, Bro Park over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1 ...

as a three-year-old. Budweiser ceased their sponsorship in 1995 while the Breeders' Cup continued until 2006. The event was upgraded in 2006 to Grade III. That same year, 2006, the event was moved to

Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack is a horse racing track and racino located in Bossier City in northwestern Louisiana. It opened in 1974. The casino features over 800 slot machines. The track specification is a dirt track of & turf course of . ...

due to the after effects of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

which damaged the Fair Grounds racetrack. Two horses have won the event three times. Yukon Gold won the event three consecutive times for in 1993 through 1995. Yukon Gold's third victory was on dirt since the event was moved off the turf. Mystery Giver also won the race three times, in 2002 through 2004. Originally a handicap, in 2020 the conditions of the event were changed to a stakes allowance race, thus changing the name of the event to Fair Grounds Stakes. The event has been held in mid-February since 2010 as is part of

Louisiana Derby The Louisiana Derby is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Run in late March, the race is open to horses, age three, willing to race miles on the dirt. It currently o ...

Preview Day at the New Orleans racetrack.

Records

Speed record: * miles – 1:47.29 Factor This (2020) Margins: * lengths – Joyeux Danseur (1998) Most wins: * 3 - Yukon Gold (1993, 1994, 1995) * 3 - Mystery Giver (2002, 2003, 2004) 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 ...

: * 5 -

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 ...

(1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 - Hal Wiggins (1993, 1994, 1995) * 3 - Richard R. Scherer (2002, 2003, 2004) * 3 - Brad H. Cox (2015, 2016, 2020) Most wins by an owner: * 4 - Team Block (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006)

Winners

''Legend:''

References

{{reflist, 2 Fair Grounds Race Course Graded stakes races in the United States Open mile category horse races Turf 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 ...

Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1988 1988 establishments in Louisiana

History

Records

Winners

See also

References