The Lecomte Stakes is a Grade III American

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 three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenths miles on the dirt run annually in mid-January, 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 ...

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. The event currently offers a purse of $200,000.

History

Early years - Open era (1943-61)

The event was inaugurated 20 February 1943 as the LeCompte Handicap with handicap conditions for four-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles. The race was won by Emerson Francis Woodward's Valdina Farms standout Valdina Orphan who started a short priced 2/5 odds-on favorite winning easily by two lengths in a time of 1:51 flat. Three months later Emerson Francis Woodward and his wife Bessie were killed in an accident with a train at a graded crossing in his home state of Texas. The event was named after the town of

Lecompte, Louisiana Lecompte ( ) is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. Lecompte is situated along the banks of the Red River in central Louisiana. US Highway 71, Louisiana’s major north-south route which connects Baton Rouge and Shreveport ...

, which was named but incorrectly spelt after a famous 19th century

race horse 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 pr ...

owned by the Wells family who lived on a plantation south of the town. The horse's name was Lecomte, who is known as the only horse to defeat Lexington. Lecomte's dam was the brilliant

Reel A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...

. The event was programmed as a preparatory race for the Fair Grounds signature event for older horses, the New Orleans Handicap which in the era was scheduled one or two weeks after this race with the place getters receiving automatic entry. In 1945 the event was not held due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 1948 the eight-year-old Jack S. L. became the first two time winner of the event. In 1949 the result of the event was a

dead heat A dead heat is a rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a tie and the competitors are awarded a joint ra ...

between My Request and Caillou Rouge. My Request won and would go on and win the New Orleans Handicap. In 1951 Joe W. Brown's four-year-old filly won the event Thelma Berger as part of his two horse entry in event with Riverlane and to date remains the only filly or mare to have won the event. The 1953 winner Smoke Screen also won the New Orleans Handicap. In 1955 the event was run as the LeComte Handicap with reference to the correct name of the famous horse. In 1961 one of Fair Grounds' favorite horses Mrs. Joe W. Brown's Tenacious won the event for the third straight time. In 1958 Tenacious finished third as the 11/10 favorite to the two time winner Speed Rouser, but would go on and win the New Orleans Handicap. In 1959 Tenacious set a new track record of 1:43 flat for the miles distance. The 1961 running of the event would be the last time the race was scheduled as an event for older horses.

Three-year-old event (1962 onwards)

In 1962 the conditions of the event were changed that only three-year-olds could enter. The event immediately became a preparatory race for the

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 ...

which was held later in the meeting in March. The 1963 winner City Line won the event defeating Lemon Twist by five lengths and setting a new stakes record of 1:42. City Line would go on and repeat his win in his next start defeating Lemon Twist again by eight lengths in the

. Mrs. Dorothy Dorsett Brown's two horse entry of Dapper Delegate and Doc Wesley won the event in 1965 starting at the short odds of 1/2. Dapper Delegate would also go on and in a fortnight capture the Louisiana Derby. The first winner of the LeComte Handicap to make an impact on the

American Triple Crown In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three r ...

events was Joseph R. Straus's 1972 winner No Le Hace. No Le Hace started as the 6/5 favorite and won by lengths winning his third straight race. No Le Hace would win the Louisiana Derby and the go to Oaklawn Park and win the

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 200 ...

. No Le Hace proceeded in running second at Churchill Downs in the

Derby Trial Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. History ...

a week before the Kentucky Derby. In the 1972 Kentucky Derby No Le Hace finished second to

Riva Ridge Riva Ridge (April 13, 1969 – April 21, 1985) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972. Often remembered simply as a stablemate of Secretariat, Riva Ridge was a successful racehorse in his own rig ...

and two weeks later finished second in the 1972 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico to Bee Bee Bee. A major upset occurred in the 1988 running of the event when Thomas Leavell's Pastourelles defeated the heavily backed 3/10 odds-favorite

Risen Star Risen Star (March 25, 1985 – March 13, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1988. Background The dark bay colt was the son of the great Triple Crown winner Secretariat and out of ...

by a length and a quarter.

would turn the tables on Pastourelles in the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes and

. More impressive was

's campaign in the

events where he won 1988 Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes by lengths. In 1991 the distance of the event was decreased to one mile. In 2003 the

American Graded Stakes Committee {{short description, Organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) based in Lexington, Kentucky is a trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeder ...

classified the event as Grade III. Due to the catastrophic damage caused by of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the winter meeting was abbreviated and held at

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 . ...

and the event was not scheduled. The event was held over a distance of a mile and 40 yards in 2010 and 2011 and was increased to a mile and 70 yards in 2012. In 2013

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term " oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-shaped meander in a rive ...

won the event by a stakes record lengths. Later in May Oxbow won the 2013 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. The 2019 winner War of Will also went onto win the

2019 Preakness Stakes The 2019 Preakness Stakes was the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the American Triple Crown. It was held on May 18, 2019, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness is a Grade I stakes race for three-ye ...

. In 2020 the event's distance was set to the miles distance, last run in 1991. The event is part of the

Road to the Kentucky Derby The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have chang ...

Records

Speed record: * miles: 1:42.40 – City Line (1963) *1 mile & 70 yards: 1:42.57 – Vicar's in Trouble (2014) *1 mile & 40 yards: 1:39.29 – Fly Cry (1994) *1 mile: 1:37.60 – Dixieland Heat (1993) Margins: * lengths –

(2013) Most wins by a jockey: * 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 ...

(1998, 2001, 2005, 2012, 2017) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 – John B. Theall (1946, 1951, 1959, 1960, 1961) Most wins by an owner: * 3 - Mr. & Mrs. Joe W. Brown (1951, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1967) Lecomte Stakes –

double: *City Line (1963), Dapper Delegate (1965), No Le Hace (1972), Clev Er Tell (1977), Dixieland Heat (1993),

Friesan Fire Friesan Fire (foaled April 30, 2006, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by 1992 American Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy, a son of the 1977 U.S. Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. His dam, Bollinger, is an Australian ...

(2009),

International Star International Star is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. He accumulated 171 points for the 2015 Road to the Kentucky Derby which is the most points ever for non- extended series events accumulated in the series. He had wins in the Grey ...

(2015)

Winners

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry
ƒ Filly or Mare

References