The stakes schedule for the 153rd season of racing at Fair Grounds has been announced, highlighted by a purse increase in two road to the Kentucky Derby points races. The Grade 2 Risen Star will be bumped from $400,000 to $500,000 and the Grade 3 Lecomte increased to $250,000, up $50,000 from the 2024 purse. A total of $325,000 in increases is scheduled for the track’s 63-race stakes program, totaling $8.875 million in purses during the 76-day 2024-2025 Thoroughbred meet.

“The Louisiana Road to the Derby and Oaks has established itself as one of the most productive paths to Louisville and we hope bolstering these races helps to maintain its presence as the premiere series of Derby preps,” said Jason Boulet, director of racing.

Eight existing stakes received a $25,000 raise, including the centennial running of the Thanksgiving Classic. The six furlong dirt sprint scheduled for Nov. 28 will now offer a $225,000 purse.

Many stakes were boosted mid-season last year due to strong handle. Fair Grounds will keep the $200,000 of added money in the purses for the $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial, as well as the $100,000 Allen Lacombe and $100,000 Black Gold (sibling turf stakes going 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds), and five $100,000 state-bred affairs: Louisiana Broodmare of the Year, Louisiana Stallion of the Year, Edward J. Johnston Memorial, Red Camelia and Page Cortez.

Opening day is slated for Friday, Nov. 22 and purses for all six Louisiana-bred stakes slated for the first two racing programs have been bumped up to $100,000. It’s the third edition of each race, but both the Andrew Ney Memorial, a six furlong dirt sprint for older horses, and its female counterpart, the Delmar R. Caldwell Memorial, have been renamed from last year to honor departed members of Louisiana’s racing community.

Fair Grounds’ march towards the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby begins Dec. 21 and continues Jan. 18, Feb. 15 and March 22. Over the past six years since Country House came through New Orleans on his way to winning the 2019 Kentucky Derby. Fair Grounds’ Derby prep races have produced three winners, four place finishers, and three show finishers, along with three others who rounded out the superfecta. Last season was no different as the second and fourth place finishers in the Kentucky Derby were Risen Star victor Sierra Leone and Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom, respectively.

A pair of 2-year-old affairs with Kentucky Derby and Oaks points implications (10-5-3-2-1) are the highlight of the eight stakes to be carded on Dec. 21: the $100,000 Gun Runner contested at 1 1/16 miles and the 1 mile 70 yards $100,000 Untapable for fillies.

The Jan. 18 card will showcase six stakes, headlined by the $250,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3), which was extended from one mile to 1 1/16 miles five years ago. The card also features the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes for fillies going one mile and 70 yards. The top five finishers in each of these races receive 20-10-6-4-2 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively.

The Feb. 15 card features the $500,000 Risen Star (G2), which was extended from 1 1/16 to 1 1/8 miles five years ago, and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2), for fillies to be contested over 1 1/16 miles. The top five finishers receive 50-25-15-10-5 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, respectively. Each of the points earners in the 2024 Risen Star made it to the starting gates of Kentucky Derby 150. The Rachel Alexandra has produced three of the last six Kentucky Oaks winners in Pretty Mischievous, Monomoy Girl, and Serengeti Empress. The 2014 victress Untapable also took the blanket of lilies.

Louisiana Derby day is scheduled for March 22 and it features eight stakes worth a total of $2.65 million. Run at 1 3/16 miles now for the sixth year, the 112th running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) is worth 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Run at 1 1/16 miles, the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks(G2) will also be carded, awarding 100-50-25-15-10 points en route to the Kentucky Oaks.

Fair Grounds 2024-2025 racing season will see the 100th running of both the $225,000 Thanksgiving Classic and the $500,000 New Orleans Classic (G2).

The 1 1/18 miles New Orleans Classic is slated for March 22, and will serve as the grand finale of the dirt route stakes series for older horses which begins with the $100,000 Tenacious on Dec. 21, the $175,000 Louisiana (G3) Jan. 18, followed by the $250,000 Mineshaft (G3) on Feb. 15.

Fair Grounds’ stakes schedule also offers a series of prominent turf route and sprint races for older horses. Culminating with the $300,000 Muniz Memorial (G2) on March 22, the open company turf route series begins with the 1 1/16 miles $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial on Dec. 21, followed by the 1 1/16 miles $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley on Jan. 18, and the $175,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) on Feb. 15. Both the Muniz and the Fair Grounds, each written for 1 1/8 miles, will again be presented by Horse Racing Nation.

The turf series for female routers builds up to the 1 1/16 miles $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial on March 22, which last year was won by Delahaye. She went on to win the Mint Julep (G3) at Churchill Downs for trainer Chad Brown. Following the same schedule as the male counterparts, the series begins with the Blushing K.D. on Dec. 21, followed by the Marie G. Krantz Memorial on Jan. 18 and the Albert M. Stall Memorial on Feb. 15. Each of those races has a purse of $100,000 and covers 1 1/16 miles.

The open-company turf sprint series includes a trio of 5 1/2 furlong events offering a $100,000 purse, with the Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes on Dec. 21, followed by the Duncan F. Kenner on Jan. 18 and the Colonel Power on Feb. 15.

With the addition of the $100,000 Robert “Bobby” Kelly Memorial, a quartet of older female sprint stakes is on the 2024-2025 docket. The turf series keeps the same $100,000 purse structure but follows a different schedule than the male counterparts. Beginning with the Pan Zareta on Nov. 30, the Nelson J. Menard goes next in the line-up on Dec. 26, followed by the Robert “Bobby” Kelly Memorial on Feb. 1. and finally the Mardi Gras Stakes, which will be held on March 4.

Louisiana Champions Day is Dec. 14, headlined by the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic, won last year by Touchuponastar. The traditional seven stakes are scheduled with the races run in various divisions over a variety of distances on both dirt and turf. This year the Champions Day Ladies will be held on the Stall-Wilson turf course.

Closing day is Sunday, March 23 and it will feature three state-bred stakes, each offering $100,000: the Star Guitar Presented by Brittlyn Stable (1 1/16 miles), the Shantel Lanerie Memorial for fillies and mares going 1 mile 70 yards, and the Page Cortez, a turf sprint for fillies and mares aged 3 and up.