FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2017
HARRAH’S LOUISANA DOWNS ANNOUNCES ITS 2017 THOROUGHBRED STAKES SCHEDULE
Fourteen Stakes Set for the 84-day Live Racing Season Which Commences Friday, May 6
Bossier City, LA – The 2017 Thoroughbred racing season will get underway at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs on Friday, May 6. The 84-day meet will include 14 stakes highlighted by two major events, Louisiana Cup Day on Saturday, August 5 and Super Derby Day on Saturday, September 9.
The annual Louisiana Cup will feature six divisional stakes for horses bred in Louisiana, with four six-furlong main track stakes as well as the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic and the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff to be contested at a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf. The program also includes the $60,000 Prelude, a 1 1/16-mile race on the turf for 3-year-olds that serves as the local prep race for the Super Derby. Purses for the Louisiana Cup Day stakes will total $360,000.
On Saturday, September 9, Harrah’s Louisiana Downs will host five turf stakes on its Super Derby Day, beginning with the $60,000 Unbridled; the $60,000 River Cities; the $60,000 Happy Ticket and the $60,000 Sunday Silence. The card will be highlighted by the running of the $200,000 Super Derby, which will now be run a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf. The move to the grass course marks a departure for the track’s signature Super Derby, which had its first running in 1980, and had a noted history as a graded stake run at nine furlongs on the dirt.
“The decision to move the Super Derby to the turf was made with several considerations in mind,” said Trent McIntosh, Louisiana Downs assistant general manager. “We felt that the surface switch would result in a larger field size for the Super Derby and attract a deeper and more competitive field. It was also important to maintain purse structure for the other 83 race days in the meet. The Super Derby will always be a valued signature race at Louisiana Downs; this restructuring will enable us to offer a higher quality overall meet for our horsemen and horseplayers.”
The final two stakes of the meet, the $75,000 A.L. (Red) Erwin and the $75,000 Elge Rasberry for 3-year-old Louisiana breds, will be run on Saturday, September 23.
Live racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Saturday with a 3:15 p.m. (Central) post time through September 27. For more information on the upcoming racing season and special events, visit https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-louisiana-downs/racing
Louisiana Downs 2017 Stakes schedule
Saturday, August 5 Louisiana Cup Day Noms close July 22
$50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile 2 YO LA-Bred Six furlongs
$50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies 2 YO Fillies LA-Bred Six furlongs
$50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare Sprint 3 YO & Up F&M, LA-Bred Six furlongs
$50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint 3 YO & Up LA-Bred Six furlongs
$50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic 3 YO & Up LA-Bred 1 1/16 miles (T)
$50,000 Louisiana Distaff 3 YO & Up F & M LA-Bred 1 1/16 miles (T)
$60,000 Super Derby Prelude 3 Y0 1 1/16 miles (T)
Saturday, September 9 Super Derby Day Noms close August 26
$60,000 Unbridled 3 YO & Up 1 1/16 miles (T)
$60,000 River Cities 3 YO & Up F&M 1 1/16 miles (T)
$60,000 Happy Ticket 2 YO Fillies One Mile (T)
$60,000 Sunday Silence 2 YO One Mile (T)
$200,000 SUPER DERBY 3 YO 1 1/16 miles (T)
Saturday, September 23 Noms closed
$75,000 A. L. (Red) Erwin 3 YO LA-Bred One Mile (T)
$75,000 Elge Rasberry 3 YO Fillies, LA-Bred One Mile (T)
To see a complete list of the stakes schedule, including nominations, entry and start fees, click here.