Rue La La Streaks Free Down Stretch to Win Page Cortez
California Invader Liberal Lady Scores Shantel Lanerie
 

New Orleans, La (March 23, 2025) – Stacey Moak’s Benoit took to the front and never looked back, carving out easy early splits and finishing off the field with an energetic late stride to win the $100,000 Star Guitar Stakes presented by Brittlyn Stable on closing day at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Joe Duhon, Benoit was expertly piloted by James Graham who slowed up the pace once loose on the lead. 

“Over the years I’ve rode him plenty,” Graham said. “The horse did a great job. Joe (Duhon) did a great job. Happy to be a part of Benoit’s win.”

The 5-year-old son of Closing Argument covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.21, finishing 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Up N Gone. After threatening at the top of the stretch, Behemah Star’s bid was turned back and the two-time Star Guitar Stakes winner finished third.

“(Benoit) has been knocking on the door,” Duhon said. “Today was a good day. The horse ran good and the pace helped a lot, too. He deserved this win with how good he has been doing. This is a special day for us.”

Benoit returned Benoit $8.40, $6.00, and $3.60.

After scoring his first added money event, Benoit’s career record is 15-4-3-3 with a $228,960 bankroll. Benoit was bred by Joseph Tosterud in Louisiana.

 

Rue La La Streaks Free Down Stretch to Win Page Cortez

Brittlyn Stable’s homebred Rue La La set up shop behind a hot pace and streaked to the front down the stretch to win the $100,000 Page Cortez on closing day at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Shane Wilson and piloted by Jose Guerrero, Rue La La went 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.38 over a turf course rated firm. Rue La La’s winning run made it back-to-back Page Cortez titles for her connections.

“She broke a little slow which was a part of the plan,” Guerrero said. “We wanted to set her up to make a deep run in the end. When I saw my chance we made our move.”

Rue La La started out near the back of the 12-horse pack of older fillies and mares but soon enough began to find her stride, advancing sharply through the far turn and getting first run on the closers. Taking the lead with a furlong to go, Rue La La was never being threatened by the late kick of Eye of the Pharaoh and Tommie G who ran second and third, respectively.

“This was the goal from the beginning,” Wilson said. “We put her in open company allowance races to get her race fit. Last race we tried to stay too close to the front, so today we let her do what she wants to do. we let her fall out and find her stride.”

Rue La La returned $14.40, $6.60, and $4.00.

The 7-year-old Louisiana-bred Star Guitar mare earned her first stakes title to boost her career earnings to $244,442 from a career record of 28-4-12-5.

 

California Invader Liberal Lady Scores Shantel Lanerie

Capping off a five-win day for the leading rider of Fair Grounds 153rd meet, Jose Ortiz piloted Naify Marsha’s Liberal Lady to her first stakes win in the $100,000 Shantel Lanerie Memorial, the finale on Sunday’s closing day card. 

Shipping in from Leonard Powell’s barn in California, the Louisiana-bred 5-year-old covered the 1 mile 70 yards in 1:42.69. 

“She broke really clean but (Norah G) wanted the lead so I gave it to her,” Ortiz said. “(Norah G) was going faster than I wanted, so I took my filly back and she relaxed nicely. I asked her at the 3/8ths pole and she was there for me every step of the way so I just timed my move to take the lead at the 1/8th pole.”

Clearly a Test ran late to finish 3 lengths back in second. Certified Gem won the race over Dixie Farmer for third.

Liberal Lady paid $11.40, $5.60, and $3.80.

With the Shantell Lanerie, Liberal Lady’s lifetime record is now 16-3-3-2 with $192,840 in career earnings. The daughter of Mor Spirit out of the Trippi mare Cut Class Trip was bred by Coteau Grove Farms in Louisiana.

 

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 153rd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 112th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 22, 2024 through March 23, 2025. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.

 

 

New Orleans, La (March 8, 2025) – George Messina and Michael Lee’s Fionn saved her best running for the end, going from last to first in the $100,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial Stakes to beat six 3-year-old peers by 1 1/14 lengths at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Brad Cox, Fionn covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.09 over the Stall-Wilson turf course rated “good” with the portable rail at 21 feet. Scoring her third consecutive victory, all local, the Twirling Candy was piloted by Marcelino Pedroza Jr. 

“My instructions were to be patient and wait,” Pedroza said. “She has a good turn of foot so I just wanted to use it when I needed to. I got her into the clear at the end and she was there for me.”

After settling at the back of the pack, Fionn followed Love and Poetry down the stretch before tipping out widest of all in the final stages and surging clear. 

Play With Fire grabbed the lead briefly in the stretch but flattened out for third. Aterradora (IRE) conceded the lead early to sit a pocket trip before outkicking Lady Orient ahead of the wire for fourth. Merry and Bright set the early fractions but faded once headed at the top of the stretch and finished last.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Fionn returned $5.40, $3.40, and $2.10. Love and Poetry paid $5.80 and $2.60. Play With Fire returned $2.60.

Through four career starts, Fionn’s record stands at 3-1-0 with lifetime earnings of $136,600.

Live racing resumes on Sunday with an 8-race program set to start at 12:45 p.m. CT. The final two weeks of the meet will be filled with five days of racing each, beginning next Wednesday, March 12. Louisiana Derby Day is March 22.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 153rd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 112th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 22, 2024 through March 23, 2025. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.

 

 

 

New Orleans, La (Jan. 24, 2025) – Before Tuesday it is highly likely that most New Orleanians believed there was a better chance that they’d cross paths with the Rougarou than experience a blizzard in the Bayou. The unthinkable reared its ugly head on Tuesday, and it wasn’t in the form of a mythical swamp monster.

“It is safe to say Tuesday’s Southeast Louisiana snowstorm immediately became legendary,” WDSU meteorologist and avid horseplayer Jim Syoen said. “It’s the largest snowstorm in this century, and even the previous century. It was a metrological combination of superb timing that included the coldest air of the season rushing down from Canada, and moisture approaching from the West — moisture that 99 times out of a hundred, would have just been rain.”  

Reading the tea leaves early in the week, Fair Grounds’ management transferred Thursday’s scheduled racing card to Monday. To resume live racing on Friday as planned/hoped, track superintendent Pedro Zavala had a major challenge in front of him.

“As the snowstorm was moving toward New Orleans, the temperatures quickly dropped to record levels which caused mechanical issues to our entire fleet of track maintenance tractors,” Fair Grounds’ senior director of racing Jason Boulet said. “Snow is never a weather situation that we are prepared for in our city, so dealing with freezing temperatures in addition to clearing snow forced Pedro and his team to accomplish what was seemingly impossible. In a matter of 48 hours, they had our track ready for training and racing with the use of one only one tractor. A process that usually would take two hours became an all-night marathon to assure we stayed on schedule. Track maintenance can be a thankless job at times, but words can’t express the appreciation and admiration that we all have for Pedro and his team.”

According to Syoen, the ten inches of snow officially recorded at Louis Armstrong International, the French Quarter, Metairie, and the Fair Grounds neighborhood “set, or possibly tied a record”.  It was a snowstorm that would have made even the track maintenance crews at Hawthorne in suburban Chicago and Aqueduct in New York quiver.

“Many have seen the pictures that are available at the local museums, historical societies, and even the internet of the great New Orleans snowfall of 1895,” Syoen explained. “Ten inches of snow was also officially reported on that occasion, but there is a little skepticism regarding the measuring tactics of the day. The only other snowstorm of note since then occurred on December 31, 1963, when the airport received 2.7″.”

A member of the Fair Grounds track maintenance crew for 16 years, Zavala admittedly had no experience combating snowy conditions. He reached out to fellow trackmen Javier Barajas and Jim Pendergest for advice, and he and his crew got to work.

“There were some headaches with the equipment, and we put in some long shifts,” Zavala said. “My crew and I haven’t gotten much sleep. Mother Nature will push you to the limit, but we never lost our determination to do what needed to be done.”

Friday’s eight race program went off without a hitch and live racing resumes on Saturday with a first post of 12:45 p.m. CT. All turf racing scheduled for this racing week (through Monday) has been called off, but Zavala is hopeful grass racing will proceed as scheduled on Thursday, January 30.

 

Fair Grounds to Conduct “Twilight Tailgate Racing” on Super Bowl Weekend

With New Orleans serving as the host city for Super Bowl LIX, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will be joining the festivities by holding “Twilight Tailgate Racing” on Saturday, Feb. 8th. First post for the 8-race program will be 5 p.m. CT and all races will have a Super Bowl theme. There will be a DJ in the Jamison Bar from 4 – 9 p.m. and The Wiseguys will be playing on the 4th floor in the Clubhouse from 8 – 11 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.fgno.com and through Ticketmaster.

Fresh Content on Fair Grounds YouTube Channel

The latest edition of the WEEK REWIND video series highlights recent performances from some top local 3-year-olds on the Road to the Kentucky Derby & Oaks. Wins by Hypnus, Disco Time, Simply Joking, Pretty Sassy and Dennis’ Moment and a January 17 breeze by East Avenue are featured. You can access the video here and subscribe to our YouTube channel @fairgroundsnola.

Twin Spires Tournaments

·       Sunday, Jan. 26 — $1,000 Fair Grounds/Oaklawn KDBC/NHC Qualifier ($600 Bankroll + $400 Prize Pool)

·       Monday, Jan. 27 — $160 Fair Grounds Feeder to 2/1 Oaklawn KDBC Qualifier ($80 Bankroll + $80 Prize Pool)

The Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Prizes include but are not limited to 2026 KY Derby Tickets + 2026 KDBC/2025 BCBC Seat + Cash (guaranteed 250,000 Prize Pool). $5,000 Total Buy-In ($3,500 to Bankroll + $1,500 to Prize Pool)

For the complete Twin Spires tournament schedule and to register, visit https://www.twinspires.com/bet/tournaments.

 

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 153rd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 112th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 22, 2024 through March 23, 2025. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Kilroy
Media Relations
[email protected]

New Orleans, La (Jan. 31, 2024) – Thursday’s feature dirt race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is a maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs. With seven entered, including two homebreds, the combined purchase price for the field is $2,745,000. 

Morning line favoritism goes to Rigney Racing’s Tipsy Tammy (8-5), trained by Phil Bauer. Second on debut on Jan. 1, the $600,000 daughter of Arrogate out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Peggy May could appreciate stretching out, but returns to the distance where she ran a game second to Impel. Drawing the outside post, she will be reunited with Mitchell Murrill.

Drawn to Tipsy Tammy’s immediate inside is the first-time-starter from the Cox barn, Stonestreet Stables’ Upon a Star. Going :48 flat from the gate in her work on Jan. 14 with Just a Touch, the impressive debut winner from Jan. 27’s card, the $295,000 daughter of Munnings will see Florent Geroux climb aboard. Halfway through the meet, backing this trainer and jockey combination has yielded a $2.55 ROI on twelve winners from 31 starts.

Koji Maeda’s Mugen returns for trainer Steve Asmussen after three months away. Bet to favoritism in her first two starts at Churchill Downs this fall, the $1.2 million daughter of Into Mischief finished no better than third in her first three starts. In town from Oaklawn, Keith Asmussen is named to ride Mugen, as well as Tiger Dad in race 6, which will be his first race at Fair Grounds.

Mike Stidham has two entered. Dare to Dream Stable’s $100,000 first-time-starter Laughing Out Loud drew the rail and will be piloted by Jareth Loveberry. Lael Stables’ Bubbling Up, the daughter of the third-place finisher in the 2016 Rachal Alexandra (G2), will break from post 2 with James Graham. The $550,000 Arrogate filly has one race under her belt, having finished second when debuting in August at Colonial Downs.

Two homebreds complete the field, as Charles Fipke’s Justify Perfection will debut for trainer Dallas Stewart, and Allied Racing’s Golden Degree exits the same race as Tipsy Tammy where she dueled with that foe and finished in the back for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Race 8 of ten on Thursday’s card, post time is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. CT and will be included in the $1 Pick 6. With a $3,125 carryover, the sequence also includes three turf contests run with the portable rail at 15 feet, a $25,000 conditional claiming race and a maiden claiming contest restricted to Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds, both with nine entered. 

*****

Lagniappe from Fair Grounds

Nominations for the 81st $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes close Thursday, Feb. 1. Probables for the 5 1/2 furlong older filly and mare turf sprint include Richard Perkins’ Oeuvre, last out winner of the Nelson J. Menard Memorial, and Brittlyn Stable’s Ova Charged, who if enters would face non-restricted company after her dominant Bob. F. Wright win against fellow Louisiana-breds. Mardi Gras is Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. First post for both Lundi Gras (Feb. 12) and Mardi Gras (Feb. 13) will be 12:45 p.m. CT.

Halfway through the meet, no barn has outperformed its odds better than Mark Casse’s (limited to trainers who have made 20 or more starts). With five victories from 24 runners, betting $2 to win on each yielded a $4.69 ROI. The public continues to sleep on horses trained by Emile Schwandt, and at $2.79 from 6 winners in 27 starts, the barn has the second highest ROI to prove it. After Fleet Frost won at 46-1 on Dec. 29 for Mike Stidham, those faithful to his barn have also shown a solid profit of $2.50 in the win pools from 6 winners in 51 tries.

The live racing program runs from Thursday, Feb.2 through Sunday, Feb. 4. Post time each day is 12:45 p.m. CT. Ten races are carded for both Thursday and Saturday; eight, Friday and Sunday. The Stall-Wilson turf course will have the portable rails set at 15 feet. The $1 Pick 6 (non-jackpot, 15% takeout) went unhit on Sunday, so Thursday’s pool begins with a $3,125 carryover. 

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 16 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 152nd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 111th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 17, 2023 through March 24, 2024. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Kevin Kilroy

Notes Writer/Media Relations

[email protected]

 

New Orleans (Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023) – Richard Perkins’s homebred Oeuvre lead at every call in the 79th running of the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes to rack up her third stakes win of the meet at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and her fourth in a row dating back to the Powerless at Hawthorne. The 4-year-old Illinois-bred beat seven older fillies and mares by 1 1/2 lengths. 

Piloted by Jareth Loveberry and trained by Chris Block, Oeuvre completed 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05.76 over the “firm” Stall Wilson Turf Course with the rail remaining 34 feet out. 

“It’s all her (Oeuvre),” Block said. “She’s mature and has come into her own. She’s really confident and she relaxes nicely. I didn’t give Jareth (Loveberry) any instructions. I just told him good luck and have some fun out there. Congratulations to Mr. Perkins and thank you so much for putting her in our barn.”

Breaking sharpest in the Mardi Gras was Perfect Happiness, but Oeuvre took command in the early stages to set opening fractions of :22.64 and :47.75. Tracking three-wide was New Boss, who swung into the 7 path in the homestretch to pass Perfect Happiness and assume the role of Oeuvre’s main threat. Goin’ Good followed New Boss and both charged home on the outside willingly but could not make up the open-length advantage Oeuvre had built. New Boss finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Goin’ Good. It was another 1 length back to Astute. 

“There was a little bit more speed to her outside today,” Loveberry said. “She broke comfortably and I didn’t want to get shuffled back too much with the 3 (Astute) sitting inside of me, so I used her a little bit on the backside. She’s able to shut off really easily now as she’s getting more mature and relaxed. When we hit the turn and she switched leads, she dropped the bit and gave me the breath to finish up strong down the lane.”

Perfect Happiness, Miner’s Queen, Minute Waltz, and Aboukir Bay completed the order of finish. 

Oeuvre was sent off the 7-5 favorite and returned $4.80. $3.20, and $2.40. In equaling Surveillance with her third stakes score of the meet, she boosted her career record to 16-10-3-2 and earnings to $473,126.

Racing resumes at Fair Grounds on Thursday, Feb. 23 with a 1:15 p.m. CT first post. Scheduled to be contested on Saturday, February 25 are the inaugural runnings of the $75,000 Louisiana Stallion of the Year Half Ours Stakes at 1 mile 70 yards and the $75,000 Louisiana Broodmare of the Year Buttercup’s Song Stakes at one mile – both written for 3-year-old Louisiana-breds and named for two of the great producing influences in Louisiana’s breeding history. Written for fillies, the Buttercup’s Song is slated as Race 6 with a 3:15 p.m. post time. For males, the Half Hours will go as Race 7 at 4:15 p.m.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 151st Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 110th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from Nov 18, 2022 through March 26, 2023. More information is available online at www.fairgroundsracecourse.com.