Fair Grounds releases dates, stakes schedule

For the first time in a century-and-a-half of racing, a Fair Grounds meet

will kick off under the lights with a Starlight Racing party for Opening Night

of the 142nd Thoroughbred Racing Season on November 22, a Friday. Of course,

racing will also be held the following Thursday on Thanksgiving Day, continuing

a revered New Orleans tradition dating back to 1898. The dates and stakes

schedule for the 84-day meet were officially announced Tuesday.

The Thoroughbred season will run November 22 to March 30, highlighted by the

101st running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 29. The complete

stakes schedule, featuring 58 races cumulatively worth $7.51 million, closely

mirrors that of last season.

The complete 2013-2014 racing calendar and stakes schedule can be accessed at

FGNO.com/horsemen.

First post will be 1 p.m. (CT) most days.

Two minor stakes restricted to Alabama-breds -- the $50,000 Magic City

Classic for older horses and the $25,000 Kudzu Juvenile for two-year-olds -- are

the only new additions to the stakes schedule. Every race that appeared on last

season's schedule is back, most with identical purses and conditions. Two stakes

for older females -- the $75,000 Mardi Gras Handicap, now a turf sprint, and the

$75,000 Happy Ticket Stakes, now on the main track -- swapped conditions due to

where they would fall on the calendar relative to Fat Tuesday.

The meet's final Louisiana-bred stakes event for older horses has been

renamed the Star Guitar Stakes in honor of the five-time Louisiana Champions Day

winner and member of the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame. Star Guitar became the

all-time Louisiana-bred earning leader in 2012 by winning the race that will now

bear his name, previously known as the Costa Rising Stakes. The Costa Rising

name will now be applied to another Louisiana-bred stakes race, replacing the

Bayou St. John Stakes name.

The Fair Grounds stakes schedule is highlighted by 10 stakes that were graded

last season -- five Grade 2s and five Grade 3s. The Grade 2 events are the Risen

Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby for three-year-olds, the Fair Grounds Oaks for

three-year-old fillies, the New Orleans Handicap for older horses and the Mervin

H. Muniz Memorial Handicap for older turf horses.

The Grade 3 events are the Lecomte Stakes for three-year-olds, the Rachel

Alexandra Stakes for three-year-old fillies, the Mineshaft Handicap for older

horses, and both the Fair Grounds Handicap and the Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap

for older turf horses.

The North American Graded Stakes committee will meet in December to determine

grades for 2014.

"We continue to hope that the esteemed committee will finally recognize that

Fair Grounds deserves a Grade I race," said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and

General Manger for Racing. "The Louisiana Derby produced two of the top three

finishers in the Kentucky Derby and the winner of the Belmont Stakes. Our

three-race prep series overall featured five of the top six Kentucky Derby

finishers plus the Preakness and Belmont winners. A nationally televised,

million-dollar race that is now proven as the key final Triple Crown prep has

probably earned Grade 1 status."

Fair Grounds also announced four Starlight Racing dates in addition to

Opening Night. The popular social events feature live music, DJs, drink specials

and live racing under the lights on select Friday nights. The 2013-2014

Starlight dates are November 22, December 20, January 17, February 7 and March

14.

Bands and DJs will be announced once the lineup is finalized. For information

on private parties and corporate events at Starlight Racing, contact Group Sales

at (504) 948-1285.

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