Louisiana Downs kicked off its annual Thoroughbred meet on Saturday, May 7 with perfect weather and a packed house.
New owner Kevin Preston and Mitch Dennison, Louisiana Downs General Manager of Racing, are pleased with the tremendous support from the horsemen and racing fans and look forward to another excellent turnout for Saturday's live racing and simulcast of the 147th Preakness Stakes.
“We were thrilled with our opening day crowd here for both live racing and the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby,” said Mitch Dennison, Louisiana Downs General Manager of Racing. “From our suite level to the apron, fans were having a great time and told our team members that they would be back on a regular basis. We are committed to making Louisiana Downs a top sports and entertainment destination, and opening day surpassed our expectations. We are excited to build on this momentum in the months to come.”
Trainer Joey Foster, who resides in nearby Benton, La., has been a very loyal supporter of his home track and applauds the efforts of Preston, Dennison and the entire team.
“I'm 110% behind them,” said Foster. “Mitch is a horseman and is on the backside every morning making sure things are going well. We have an excellent turf course and the main track is well-managed and kind to our young horses. Kevin has big plans and with Sports wagering and Historical racing machines, there will be more revenue for the horsemen. They have the wheels in motion and we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!”
Preakness Festivities Planned for Saturday, May 21
The 147th Preakness Stakes in Baltimore Maryland will take place on Saturday, May 21. Louisiana Downs will simulcast each of the races from Pimlico Race Course. The nine horse field will not include Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, but Derby runner-up Epicenter as well Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath, are two of the quality 3-year-olds expected draw considerable attention. Louisiana Downs will celebrate the second leg of racing's Triple Crown with live racing, and Family fun events including Bounce Houses, Face Painting as well as several of the top Food Trucks in the Metroplex. Additionally, there will be a Swipe2Win promotion at the Racing Promotional kiosks beginning at 11am. Guests can win free wagers, bonus points, and more!
Post Time to Be Moved to 1:45 PM for Saturday and Sunday Beginning May 21
A modification to the weekend post times for the 2022 Thoroughbred meet will go into effect this Saturday. The first race will begin at 1:45 pm (Central) on Saturday and Sunday and remain at 3:05 pm for the Monday and Tuesday cards. Projected post times are as follows:
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY POST TIMES , FIRST POST: 1:45 PM (CST)
Race 1- 1:45 pm
Race 2- 2:13 pm
Race 3- 2:41 pm
Race 4- 3:09 pm
Race 5- 3:37 pm
Race 6- 4:05 pm
Race 7- 4:33 pm
MONDAY AND TUESDAY POST TIMES , FIRST POST: 3:05 PM (CST)
Race 1 3:05pm
Race 2 3:33pm
Race 3 4:01pm
Race 4 4:28pm
Race 5 4:55pm
Race 6 5:22 pm
Race 7 5:49pm
Gino Buccola Joins Louisiana Downs as Racing Analyst
Louisiana Downs is pleased to welcome Gino Buccola as their on-air analyst, joining track announcer John McGary to preview each of the live Thoroughbred races. He will offer his pre-race selections, post-race analysis as well as Pick 4 plays. The California native was an analyst at TVG before branching out on his own and coordinating a variety of racing and sports experts to appear on his popular and entertaining That's What G Said Podcast.
Exotic Animal Racing Returns on Monday, May 30
Memorial Day will mark the return of the wildly popular Exotic Animal Races, featuring Ostrich, Camel and Zebra races as well as Thoroughbred races to entertain fans of all ages. Family activities on the trackside apron begin at 11:00 am with Face Painting, a Bounce House, Water Slide and more! Some of the top Food trucks in the Shreveport/Bossier City metroplex will be onsite throughout the afternoon. For more information, visit ladowns.com.
Trainer and Jockey Standings
Shane Wilson, who was honored as 2021 Louisiana Down leading trainer, is off to a great start with seven wins. Joey Foster and Greg Tracy are tied for second in the standings with six wins each and Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen follows with four victories to date. Jose Guerrero has the early lead in the rider standings with nine wins since the meet began on May 7. Last year's leading jockey Carlos Lozada is second with eight trips to the winner's circle, followed by Emanuel Nieves (seven wins) and Joel Dominguez (five victories). Another prominent addition to the Louisiana Downs jockey colony is Calvin Borel. The Louisiana native has won 5,265 races in his 39-year career, but is most famous for his rail-skimming ride aboard Mine That Bird in the 2009 Kentucky Derby.
Louisiana Downs Racing Dates and Post Time
The 2022 Thoroughbred meet at Louisiana Downs got underway on Saturday, May 7. The 84-day live racing season will run Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday through September 27. Post time on Saturday and Sunday is 1:45 pm (Central) and 3:05 pm on Monday and Tuesday. For details on simulcasting and special events, visit ladowns.com.
The post Louisiana Downs: New Weekend Post Times Go Into Effect May 21 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
