The Super Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually in September 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 . ...
in Bossier City, Louisiana.
Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to three-year-olds and the distance is miles on the dirt. Currently a Grade III event, it is the richest race held at Louisiana Downs. In its history, the Super Derby has attracted some of the top horses in the country including winners of all three
American Classic Races.
The Super Derby was a
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
race from 1983 to 2001. In 2002, it was downgraded to Grade II and in 2016, it was downgraded again to Grade III. It was originally run at the American classic distance of miles, but in 2002 the distance was reduced to miles (the exception being 2005 when the distance reverted to miles). In 2017 the distance was set at miles.
In summary:
In 2017, the Super Derby lost its graded status and changed surfaces from dirt to turf. "Today, there are a lot fewer 3-year-old races on the grass. We want our key race to have the best and largest field we can put out there, and making the move to the turf, there's an opportunity to have a better overall quality field", stated Trent McIntosh, the assistant general manager of Louisiana Downs.
* miles – 2002–2004, 2006–2016
* miles – 1980–2001, 2005
* miles – 2017 – present
* Dirt – 1980–2016
* Turf – 2017 – present
The 2020 Super Derby, what was to be the 40th running, was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Records
Speed record:
* 1:48.36 – My Pal Charlie (2008) (at miles)
* 1:59.84 – Tiznow (2000) (at miles)
* 1:42.91 – Mr. Misunderstood (2017) (at miles)
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 ...
:
* 3 –
Eddie Maple
Edward Retz "Eddie" Maple (born November 8, 1948, in Carrollton, Ohio) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. One of eight siblings, he is an older brother to jockey Sam Maple, who won more than 2,500 races.
Maple began riding h ...
(1980, 1985, 1986),
* 3 –
Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1981, 1983, 1984)
* 3 –
Chris McCarron
Christopher John McCarron (born March 27, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He mounted his first horse ever at 16.5 years old and was racing professionally by 18. At only 19 years o ...
(1987, 1997, 2000)
Most wins by a
trainer:
* 3 –
Albert Stall Jr. (2008, 2010, 2013)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – Russell L. Reineman Stables (1986, 1990)
Winners
* † Race run on turf.
References
{{reflist
Louisiana Downs siteTen Things You Should Know About the Super Derby at Hello Race Fans!
Graded stakes races in the United States
Flat horse races for three-year-olds
Horse races in Louisiana
1980 establishments in Louisiana
Recurring sporting events established in 1980
Bossier City, Louisiana