Thoroughbred Horse Races in Louisiana

Thoroughbred racing in Louisiana can be traced back to when French Canadians settled in the central part of the state and began running races around homemade tracks. The Cajuns, which they eventually became known, have continued Louisiana’s rich racing history to this day by producing some of the best jockeys in the nation. Louisiana is one of the thoroughbred racing industry’s most important states because it usually offers racing both during the day and at night and is always thinking of new innovations, like Racinos, race tracks and casinos, that other states eventually adopt.

Louisiana's Biggest Horse Racing Events

Louisiana hosts many popular horse racing events. See below for information about the Louisiana Derby, the New Orleans Handicap and the Fair Grounds Oaks.

Louisiana Derby

The $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby has become one of the key prep races for the Kentucky Derby. It is also the state’s most important race of the year and continually produces double-digit winners.

New Orleans Handicap

Louisiana’s important handicap race for older horses is the New Orleans Handicap. The purse for the New Orleans is $400,000, which is one of the reasons that it attracts top horses on a yearly basis.

Fair Grounds Oaks

The Fair Grounds Oaks for $400,000 is Louisiana’s top Kentucky Oaks prep race. Some of the top fillies in history have won the Fair Grounds Oaks including Silverbulletday, Ashado and Preakness Stakes’ winner Rachel Alexandra.