Family Day March 20
Children of all ages will enjoy Family Day on March 20, from noon-4 p.m., with fun interactive games and activities including a mobile video game trailer with Xbox and Wii games, a rock-climbing wall, spacewalks, an obstacle course, face painting, balloon sculptors and more. Admission is $5 per person.
Fair Grounds Oaks Day March 26
For the first time, the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks for top 3-year-old fillies will be featured on its own special afternoon with four stakes races restricted to females on Friday, March 26, the eve of the Louisiana Derby. The premier prep race for the Kentucky Oaks, four of the last five winners of the Fair Grounds Oaks have gone on to win on the first Friday in May (or the last Friday in April, as is sometimes the case): Rachel Alexandra, Proud Spell, Summerly and Ashado.
Louisiana Derby Day March 27
It’s the season’s biggest day of racing with six stakes, including three Grade II events, on a program worth more than $2 million in purses. Moved to a new spot on the calendar five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, this year’s 97th running of Fair Grounds’ signature event, the Grade II Louisiana Derby, will be more important than ever as a prep for the world’s most famous horse race. Several of the nation’s top 3-year-olds will descend on the Crescent City to find out if they have the talent to move on to the Run for the Roses while competing for the winner’s share of a $750,000 purse. Among them will likely be Discreetly Mine, the impressive winner of last month’s Risen Star Stakes from the barn of Todd Pletcher. Don’t forget there’s an early first post of 12:10 p.m. Central on Louisiana Derby Day!
Closing Day March 28
Can this really already be the last month of the 138th Thoroughbred Racing Season Presented by Miler Lite? The final 16 programs of our 85-day meeting are in March, with Closing Day set for March 28. For the next four weeks, live racing will be conducted Fridays to Mondays, plus St. Patrick’s Day. First post is 12:40 p.m. Central weekends (except Louisiana Derby Day at 12:10 p.m. Central) and 1:10 p.m. Central weekdays.
