Tag: delta

Delta Downs’ Repairs Progressing, Targeting Late November To Begin Delayed Thoroughbred Season

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel announced Monday that it is working toward a revised start date for its 2020-21 Thoroughbred season, following delays caused by heavy damage to the track from Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27.

Based on the progress of repairs to date, Delta Downs believes it will be able to allow horses to move back on the grounds and start training by late October and begin live racing in late November.

This year's meet was originally scheduled to run from Oct. 6, 2020 to Feb. 27, 2021 for a total of 84 race days. The end of the season may now be revised and extended along with a change in the total number of race days, pending approval from the Louisiana Racing Commission

Steve Kuypers, Vice President & General Manager of Delta Downs, said: “Boyd Gaming and Delta Downs are committed to hosting a successful 2020-21 Thoroughbred meet here in Vinton, Louisiana.”

As work continues and repairs are completed, Delta Downs will provide further information about when horses will be allowed to be stabled on the backside, when the track plans to begin its season, and the new schedule for live racing. This information will be posted to the Delta Downs website at www.deltadownsracing.com.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.

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Hurricane Aftermath: Commission Orders Fair Grounds Open To Evacuees, Churchill Goes To Court

Last Thursday evening marked the second time this year that the Louisiana State Racing Commission has issued an emergency order related to stabling, reports nola.com. After a request from the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, the commission ordered both the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and Louisiana Downs in Bossier City to take in Thoroughbreds from Evangeline Downs (Opelousas).

Hurricane Laura's path of destruction left Delta Downs, in Vinton, La., in bad shape, and though an evacuation order was in place for the area, as many as 500 Quarter Horses and their caretakers had nowhere else to go. All managed to survive the hurricane, but now many are in temporary stabling locations with nowhere to train.

Evangeline Downs ended its Thoroughbred meet this weekend, and the horses at the Opelousas track would normally shift to Delta Downs for the next Thoroughbred race meet, while Delta's Quarter Horse population would shift to Evangeline. Since Delta is not in any condition to host racing, there simply aren't enough stalls to accommodate both populations at the same time.

The commission's decision would send Evangeline's Thoroughbreds to the Fair Grounds, while the Quarter Horses would be able to take up residence at Evangeline. However, Churchill Downs, Inc., the Fair Grounds' parent company, has said that the New Orleans track is not prepared to take on horses at this time. The track is in the midst of preventative maintenance, New Orleans has been a hotspot for Covid-19, and hurricane season is not yet ended.

“We would love to help,” Fair Grounds attorney David Waguespack said during Thursday's commission meeting, according to crescentcitysports.com. “We're just not able to do what the Commission wants us to do.”

The commission's order included that both Fair Grounds and Louisiana Downs provide: stabling for the horses, “customary accommodations” for their caretakers, training hours, and the necessary security and maintenance staff.

On Friday, Churchill's lawyers lodged a legal challenge asking an Orleans Parish judge to halt the order. A hearing is scheduled for this Friday, Sept. 11.

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Hurricane Aftermath: ‘A Lot Of Damage’ Will Delay Opening Of Delta Downs’ Thoroughbred Meet

Significant damage from Hurricane Laura will force Delta Downs to delay the start of its Thoroughbred meet, scheduled to begin Oct. 6, director of racing operations Chris Warren told the Thoroughbred Daily News. The Vinton, La. track was part of the mandatory evacuation order issued Tuesday, but nearly 600 Quarter Horses and a number of workers remained on property with nowhere else to go.

No horses or people were reported injured in the hurricane, which made landfall around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, but the facility itself was a different story.

“There's debris and sheet metal everywhere,” Warren told the TDN. “The tote board got demolished. It collapsed and is completely gone. Our camera towers are gone, so is our holding barn. The starting gates got completely turned over and the light poles are torn up. The whole backside rail is pretty much ruined. There's just a lot of damage and it is everywhere.”

Track announcer Don Stevens posted several photos of the damage on social media:

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Hurricane Forces Evacuation Of Delta Downs, Cancellation Of Racing At Evangeline

Expected to hit coastlines of Louisiana and Texas late Wednesday night, Hurricane Laura has forced the evacuation of Delta Downs in Vinton, La. and the cancellation of both workouts and racing at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La.

According to the Daily Racing Form, racing and training at Evangeline has been cancelled on both Wednesday and Thursday for precautionary measures.

There's a mandatory evacuation of all citizens in Vinton, said Chris Warren, Delta Downs' director of racing.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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