Louisiana is one of the nation's biggest hotbeds for horse racing, and has some of the longest horse racing history of any state in the country. Metairie Racecourse opened in 1838. An exclusive social club, Metairie Racecourse drew some of the best of the best of 19th-century horse racing, and it was the site of the great match races between Lexington and Lecomte. Lecomte, still the namesake of a Kentucky Derby prep at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, handed Lecomte his only career loss there.
Though Metairie and several other tracks in Louisiana have been lost to the ages, four tracks remain in the state of Louisiana, ensuring a thriving racing scene for owners, breeders, and fans alike. All four tracks host both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing: Delta Downs in Vinton, Evangeline in Opelousas, Fair Grounds in New Orleans, and Louisiana Downs in Bossier City. Between four tracks and two dozen OTB locations spread across the state, horse racing is alive and well in the bayou!
Recommended Online Racebooks
Even with multiple tracks and off-track betting locations around the state of Louisiana, not everyone can make it out there. Fortunately, there are many great online racebooks open to Louisiana bettors, and you can bet horse racing in Louisiana and all over the world without a trip to the track or OTB!
With an online racebook, you can bet at home or on the go from your computer, tablet, or smartphone: anywhere with an internet connection! And, you can build your bankroll faster when betting online than you can at a racetrack or OTB. This is because online racebooks offer market-leading odds, including fixed-odds and prop wagering for major races, as well as sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, and horse racing rebates that you'll never find at the track or the off-track betting facility.
These are the best choices for Louisiana online racebooks:
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Horse Racing in Louisiana
Horse racing is thriving in the state of Louisiana! Across the four tracks in the state, you can take your pick from live Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse racing all year long.
The highest-profile track in Louisiana is Fair Grounds. Located in New Orleans, Fair Grounds is the home of multiple graded-stakes races for Thoroughbreds, including major prep races for both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks. Thoroughbred racing at Fair Grounds runs from mid-November until late March. Fair Grounds also runs a short Quarter Horse meet from mid-August through mid-September.
At Delta Downs, the Thoroughbred meet runs from early October through late February. Quarter Horses pick up the mantle from late April through mid-July.
Evangeline Downs picks up Thoroughbred racing after Delta and Fair Grounds wind it down, hosting it from early April through late August. Evangeline also hosts a fall Quarter Horse meet that gets underway in early October and runs through mid-December.
Louisiana Downs hosts a spring and summer Thoroughbred meet. Racing at Louisiana Downs gets underway in early May and runs until late September. It then switches to Quarter Horses, who run from January through March.
Louisiana Horse Races
The Fair Grounds Thoroughbred meet has dozens of six-figure stakes races on both the dirt and the grass. The richest Thoroughbred race in Lousiana is the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) in late March, one of the most important prep races for the Kentucky Derby. That same card also features the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), a high-class final prep for the Kentucky Oaks, the $500,000 New Orleans Classic (G2) for older horses on the dirt, and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) for older grass horses.
During its Quarter Horse season, the richest races on offer at Fair Grounds are a pair of juvenile features in September: the $550,000 LQHBA Futurity for Louisiana-bred juveniles, as well as the $150,000 Big Easy Futurity for two-year-old Quarter Horses bred anywhere.
Most of the Thoroughbred stakes at Delta Downs are focused on Louisiana-breds, though they have a day of $100,000 open-company stakes in early November highlighted by the Jean Laffitte and My Trusty Cat for two-year-olds, as well as the Delta Mile and Treasure Chest for older runners. On the Quarter Horse side, major events include the $100,000 Firecracker Derby (G3) and Firecracker Futurity (G2) in early July, as well as the $700,000 Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1) for Louisiana-breds.
During the Evangeline Downs Thoroughbred meet, the highlight of the stakes calendar is the $100,000 Evangeline Mile, which draws good older horses from all over the country. Evangeline's Quarter Horse meet reaches its crescendo on closing day in December with the $1 million LQHBA Million Futurity (RG1), an end-of-year highlight for juveniles bred in the Pelican State.
At Louisiana Downs, the best-known Thoroughbred stakes race is the mid-SeptemberSuper Derby, a $250,000 race for three-year-olds that has been won by Temperance Hill, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, and Tiznow during its history. For Quarter Horses, the highlight is the Mardi Gras Futurity (RG2), a $600,000 race for Louisiana-breds.
OTB Locations in Louisiana
Most people may think of Bourbon Street first when thinking about fun things to do in Louisiana, but betting the horses is right up there, too! Even if you're not close to one of the track in the state, there are about two dozen Off Track Betting locations under the auspices of the Louisiana Racing Commission that are fun places to get together with friends, attend a betting seminar, and play the horses.