“In our 152nd year, Fair Grounds will set another record for the richest stakes schedule in Louisiana history,” said Doug Shipley, President and General Manager of the track.

Opening day is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17, with six $75,000 Louisiana-bred stakes over the season's first two days, while the Road to the Derby Kickoff Day happens Dec. 23 with eight stakes.

“Many deserve thanks for their dedication and efforts to make this happen,” said Fair Grounds Racing Secretary Scott Jones. “Along with our phenomenal Road to the Kentucky Derby series and thriving turf course, this is one more reason why there is no better winter destination for horse racing than New Orleans.”

The highlight of the season, the $1,000,000 GII Louisiana Derby, is set for Saturday, Mar. 23, with 100-50-25-15-10 points awarded to the top five finishers on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Eight stakes worth a total of $2,625,000 will be carded for the day, including the $400,000 GII Fair Grounds Oaks Presented by Fasig-Tipton, which awards 100-50-25-15-10 points en route to the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks. Last year's runner-up Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) rebounded from that defeat with a victory in the Oaks.

“The strong infusion of our sport's top 3-year-olds training and racing at Fair Grounds has been very apparent these past few seasons,” Jones said. “Beginning with the Gun Runner and the Untapable for late-season juveniles, it's proven that our progressive schedule of 3-year-old races for both the boys and girls gives horsemen the proper distances and spacing to prepare their runners for the first weekend in May and beyond.”

Closing day is Sunday, Mar. 24. Regular post time throughout the meet will be 12:45 p.m. CT, with an earlier noon CT first post on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23), Road to the Derby Kickoff Day (Dec. 23), Road to the Derby Day (Jan. 20), Louisiana Derby Preview Day (Feb. 17), and Louisiana Derby Day (March 23).

Click to see the entire Fair Grounds 2023-24 stakes schedule or the first Condition Book.

The post Stakes Purses Raised by $1.2 Million at Fair Grounds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Ray Paulick of Paulick Report had the scoop in a Tuesday story. He cited confirmations of the “unnatural stimulation of horses” arrest from the St. Landry Parish sheriff's office, the clerk of the parish court, and the Louisiana State Police. But details were scant because of an “ongoing investigation.”

TDN attempted to contact the St. Landry Parish district attorney to find out about a court date, and whether Melancon had retained a lawyer, but had no luck reaching anyone who would comment prior to deadline for this story. Melancon himself could also not be reached for his side of the story.

The St. Landry Parish clerk of court told the Paulick Report that the 55-year-old Melancon was released on a $20,000 bail bond.
Charles Gardiner, the executive director of the Louisiana State Racing Commission, told the Paulick Report that the state police and Evangeline stewards will conduct separate investigations. But, he added, a complicating factor in the stewards' investigation is that the Evangeline race meet has ended and the stewards are not considered to be on the job 48 hours after a meet ends.

Melancon went 0-for-4 riding at Evangeline last Wednesday, Aug. 24. He was named there on mounts Thursday and Friday but did not ride either card. The day following his arrest, Melancon rode the closing-day Evangeline card Aug. 27, then rode at Louisiana Downs Aug. 28. He is named to ride at Louisiana Downs Sept. 4, 5, and 6.

Melancon has won 5,079 races from 32,444 mounts dating to 1984. In June of 2021, when profiled in the Rayne-Acadian Tribune for winning his 5,000th race, Melancon acknowledged issues in his 20s with alcohol and cocaine that nearly derailed his life and riding career. But he said he quit abusing substances in 1989 and has claimed sobriety as a recovering addict ever since.
Prior to that, Melancon's name had surfaced two alleged Louisiana race-fixing scandals.

In 1986, Melancon was named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the investigation of an allegedly fixed Fair Grounds race in which he purportedly received $500 from another jockey to hold back his horse. Published news accounts at the time stated that Melancon had testified before a grand jury against the fellow riders who ended up being indicted.

In April of 1987, after jockey Bryan Jenkins was allegedly caught with an illegal shocking device at Evangeline, he testified at a racing commission hearing that Melancon had handed the device to him after obtaining it from a pony person, according to coverage of the incident in the Shreveport Times.

Even though he was never indicted in either case, citing the race-fixing allegations, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission refused to license him to ride in the 1992 GI Kentucky Derby.

In 2021, Melancon was named as a finalist for the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, which the New York Racing Association awards to a jockey who displays extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.

This summer, on June 29, Melancon joined a federal lawsuit in which two states, the Jockeys' Guild, and various Louisiana-based “covered persons” under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) are trying to get HISA derailed on alleged non-constitutionality grounds and for alleged non-compliance with federal rulemaking procedures.

The post Melancon Arrested On Evangeline ‘Buzzer’ Charge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Nominations for the first “official” futurity of the year topped previous numbers with Bruce Salard, executive director of the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) sharing that a record 223 payments had been received. Based on that level of interest, it was clear that trials for the 300-yard championship could not be completed in one day.

On Friday, January 28, the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) approved a request from David Heitzmann, director of racing for the Bossier City racetrack, to amend its schedule. Approval was granted for the following changes:

• Trials for the Mardi Gras Futurity will now take place on Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6. The draw will take place on Saturday, February 26
• Closing day of the 2022 live racing season will be on Wednesday, April 6, instead of  Thursday, April 8

“We appreciate the efficiency of the LSRC in approving the change in our schedule so that we can safely run all the trials for the Mardi Gras Futurity,” said Heitzmann. “Last year's purse was $349,946, but with such strong interest by horsemen, the ten finalists will run for a record purse on March 27.”

Louisiana Downs will also present the 15^th running of the $50,000-added Mardi Gras Derby on Sunday, March 27 with trials set for Monday, March 7. Trials for the $75,000-added Louisiana Downs Futurity (G3) will be run on Sunday, March 13 with the top ten qualifiers advancing to the final on Sunday, April 3. Schooling races will be offered On February 12 and 19 for 2-year-olds paid into the Mardi Gras Futurity as well as the Louisiana Downs Futurity.

Live Quarter Horse racing will be conducted Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through March 2. Beginning Sunday, March 6, the schedule changes to Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. One Thursday race card will be added on March 31. Post time will be 1:00 p.m. (Central), except for Mardi Gras trial dates, which will begin at 11:00 am.

Dates have also been approved for the 2022 Louisiana Downs Thoroughbred live racing season. The 84-day meet will begin on Saturday, May 7 and conclude on Tuesday, September 27.

Louisiana Downs 2022 Quarter Horse Stakes Schedule

Revised as of January 28

March 27         $100,000-added Mardi Gras Futurity(RG2)     2 YO LA-Bred            300 yards

$50,000-added Mardi Gras Derby                     3 YO   LA-Bred         400 yards

April 3             $75,000-added Louisiana Downs Futurity(G3)             2 YO               300 yards

2022 Quarter Horse Trial Dates

March 5 and March 6             Mardi Gras Futurity

March 7                                   Mardi Gras Derby

March 13                                 Louisiana Downs Futurity

2022 Schooling Race Dates

February 12                             Mardi Gras Futurity

February 19                             Louisiana Downs Futurity

The post Louisiana Downs Announces Changes To 2022 Quarter Horse Schedule appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The exchange did not yield a definitive answer beyond Boulet's disclosure that the Fair Grounds and its corporate parent, the gaming firm Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), would be in favor of participating in discussions among stakeholders that might reduce race dates in Louisiana with the goal of making it easier to fill entries at the state's four Thoroughbred tracks.

The dates statute wasn't on the agenda for the Jan. 18 LSRC meeting. But Calvert brought it up after Boulet reported that so far through the November-through-March meet, the number of starters per Fair Grounds race has dipped from 8.3 to 7.6 in a year-over-year comparison, a decrease Boulet termed “alarming.”

“The struggle for entries is a reality for us,” Boulet said, noting that the Fair Grounds has already had to obtain permission from Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (LHBPA) on three occasions during the current meet to card eight-race programs instead of the required nine.

“The [handle] numbers so far after 34 days–not a good, positive thing so far at 11.9% down year-to year,” Boulet said.

But Boulet also noted that year-to-year comparisons are difficult nationwide because the COVID-19 pandemic has skewed the industry's metrics.

Boulet did manage to make the handle numbers sound rosier by offering a pre-pandemic comparison that stated the Fair Grounds handle is “actually trending up 7%” from the 2019-20 meet.

“Overall handle has been a struggle,” Boulet explained. “That being said, even with that, we've had positive video poker and slots revenues over the year. That's been good for us. And it allowed us to actually do a purse increase for 15%.”

Calvert then wanted to know if Fair Grounds or CDI has legislation either pending or planned to reduce the dates requirement.

“I'm not aware of that, sir,” Boulet answered.

“Wouldn't that be a good thing for you?” Calvert asked.

“I think that, in front of this commission, yeah, I mean, that's always been a very sensitive subject about touching that 80-day minimum statute,” Boulet said. “Again, the Fair Grounds is a proponent of trying to move forward with talking about overlap, and we hope that the conversation is brought forth to this commission. Of course, the HBPA has all the rights to be concerned about moving forward with allowing us to go below the 80 days…”

Calvert then pointed out that last year, the Fair Grounds and CDI advocated for just such a five-date reduction. He noted the provision was included in 2021 racing legislation, “but at the last minute it was pulled out of the bill.”

Boulet then said he has not recently met with the legal counsel or lobbyists the Fair Grounds employs, so he allegedly wasn't sure what might be in the legislative pipeline.

“What I'm saying, I think the commission would be receptive to it,” Calvert said. “We understand that most of the successful models around America have less days than the Fair Grounds has. I just think that you guys can't drag your feet on it. You've got to move it. And sometimes I know it's like swimming against the current, but you've still got to put it out there.”

Boulet said, “I appreciate the way you put it, because I know that in the long run [that] once we are given that door to open, then all the tracks, including Churchill Downs [Inc.], would take advantage and try to move toward these boutique meets and whatever…” Boulet said. “Basically, it comes down to we hope that the commission can consider it case by case, track by track, and the HBPA has to have the final approval…”

LHBPA president Benard Chatters wasn't about to let this back-and-forth between Calvert and Boulet go without getting on the record how his organization's membership felt.

“The horsemen absolutely oppose a reduction in racing dates,” Chatter said. “The Fair Grounds runs 80 days per year. The other three tracks run 84 days, so [Fair Grounds] has a reduction in days that other tracks don't.”

Chatters noted that for some portions of the current meet, the Fair Grounds chose to run five-date race weeks instead of four, compounding race-filling difficulties.

“Everything in the horse world from the [horse] owner's perspective is on the rise,” Chatters said. “Expenses are on the rise. The one thing that's not on the rise is opportunities to race these horses. It is imperative that these owners have as many opportunities to race these horses as they can so that they stay in this business. If you look at the numbers, if you look at all of the positive things that we have coming into racing in the near future [like a cut from online sports betting], you'll be able to see that everything is in place to be able to draw more horses to the state, to bring more horses into the grounds…

“It is very, very critical that you never forget that the owners [of horses] put on this [show] and we're the ones that take all of these [negative financial consequences] by the seat of our own pants,” Chatters said, pointing out that revenues for track operators are “through the roof.”

Chatters continued: “I want to make sure that you're listening. Profits are up, betting is up, and all of this stuff. And so this 'difficulty' in getting horses is kind of far-fetched, I think…When you go to talk about cutting race days and that kind of thing [it] means that it makes it very, very difficult to not necessarily make a profit in the horse racing business as an owner, but just to keep your nose above water so that you're not drowning. When we run these [smaller outfits] out, we're in trouble.”

Calvert then asked, “How do you respond to the criticism of your position which says you want to have terrible horse racing? [That] you want to have races with four or five horses in [them] so that this low level of horsemanship, this low level of trainership, can pick up money and keep being in the business? I mean, I'm of the proposition that this should be sort Darwinistic and that [outfits that can't survive] should be eliminated from the world of horse racing. What do you think?”

Chatters responded by rattling off a sizable list of people and entities that all benefit from purse money trickling down into the economy, including all the way to farmers who grow hay and vehicle dealers who sell pickup trucks.

“So, the importance of as many people participating in horse racing as possible on the state economy is critical, or crucial,” Chatters said.

“I disagree with you when you say the owners are the bedrock of horse racing,” Calvert said. “I would say the racing fan is the bedrock of horse racing…How do you respond to those fans that say we have to eliminate this low level of horse racing to keep the fans interested? A four-horse field, a five-horse field with $5,000 claimers is not something the fans are going out to the racetrack to see. They're not even betting on those races. How do you respond to that?”

Chatters answered that those $5,000 claimers sometimes outhandle higher-quality races. Calvert didn't buy that idea. He said not with short fields, they don't.

“I have no problems, Mr. Chatters, with a $5,000 claiming race that has 12 horses,” Calvert said. “I do have a problem with four-horse races. And [CDI] has advised that the reason why [Fair Grounds has them] is because they have an 80-day meet. If they had a 75-day meet, they'd have greater purses, which would be a benefit to the horsemen…”

Chatters, in closing, said, “We're simply asking that opportunities to race is not touched [in the legislature]. We are asking this commission to stay the course with where we are with these types of issues.”

The post Fair Grounds Not Definite on Dates Reduction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“With the Equine Sales Company deciding not to conduct any sales in 2021 the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association's Board of Directors felt it was necessary to serve our breeders and provide a market for their horses,” the LTBA said in a press release. “We look forward to your entries and anticipate a successful sale.”

The post LTBA To Host October Yearling/Mixed Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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-Jaime Escalante, Stand and Deliver

Pretty simple words to say, but much harder to truly live by, and the racing industry is at the point now where it needs to truly not only say these words, but to live them.

(The Spanish word “ganas” translates in English to “desire.”)

If we look around rulings made by stewards and/or racing commissions, we often see cases that are overturned on appeal (either at the commission level of the public court level). Many times it can all be due to a technicality or a lack of proper work being done on the part of the investigators.

Sometimes rulings or decisions are made with no obvious basis in legal reasoning (as many have argued in the ongoing saga of the “Justify” positive case that is on its way to the courts). More baffling is when we see no proper investigative work being done at all. Look no further than the bizarre case out of Louisiana, where a groom was sanctioned for stealing a prohibited compounded medication from a trainers barn, yet the stewards never even decided to do a search of the trainer's barn to look for possible other illegal substances. No action was ever even taken against the trainer in the case.

(Read more about the Louisiana case here.)

We cannot blame defense attorneys for getting their clients' cases dismissed on these premises, for that is their job. You can, however, hold the investigators and stewards more accountable for not thoroughly investigating and prosecuting cases. Do the job right and the loopholes disappear. (Yes, I know this will not be true in every single case, but it will be for a vast majority of them.) No fan, new or old, will tolerate such incompetence at times when their gambling dollars are on the line.

I will admit I do not have all the answers to fix this problem, but routine requirements such as a mandatory level of training and continuing education are an easy basic start. Perhaps all those who are stewards, investigators, and commission members should be held to the “Kranz Dictum” that went out from NASA flight director Gene Kranz after the tragic Apollo 1 launchpad fire that killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee in 1967:

 “From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: “Tough” and “Competent.” Tough means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do. We will never again compromise our responsibilities. Every time we walk into Mission Control we will know what we stand for. Competent means we will never take anything for granted. We will never be found short in our knowledge and in our skills. Mission Control will be perfect. When you leave this meeting today you will go to your office and the first thing you will do there is to write “Tough and Competent” on your blackboards. It will never be erased. Each day when you enter the room these words will remind you of the price paid by Grissom, White, and Chaffee. These words are the price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control.”

Simply replace some of those space related terms with racing locations, and the names of the astronauts with the names of the horses and humans who have died because of lack of giving 100%, and the dictum more than fits for racing.

It should be mandatory that all stewards, investigators, and commission members to have “Tough” and “Competent” written in places where they can always see it, shouldn't it? It probably should be mandatory for all participants in the racing industry. All it takes to make this happen is “ganas.”

–Dr. Bryan Langlois, past president of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, board of directors of Animal Care PA and Thorofan

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please write to info at paulickreport.com and include contact information where you may be reached if editorial staff have any questions.

The post Letter To The Editor: Racing Officials, Investigators Need To Be Accountable For Their Mistakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Brown, based primarily in New York for the first decade of his career, has branched out in recent years and put down roots in Kentucky this year for the first time, which created a natural progression towards Fair Grounds.

“Being in the Midwest at Churchill Downs, and with things going well, we felt it made a lot of sense to bring a division to Fair Grounds and try to establish a year-round circuit,” Brown said. “We're optimistic that we can be competitive down there this winter.”

Brown, who has long had the deepest and most talented grass horses in the country, is familiar with Fair Grounds' biggest turf stakes, the Muniz Memorial Classic (G2), as he shipped Bricks and Mortar in to win the race in 2019, in what helped kickstart a Horse of the Year campaign that ended with a win in the Breeders' Cup Turf. While he plans on taking advantage of the local turf course, he expects to be well represented on all levels.

“Right now, we're still finalizing who we're going to bring down there and what kind of horses fit best, regardless of what class or division it might be,” Brown said. “We'll look over the condition book and see, on a horse-by-horse basis, what makes the most sense. If we have a lot of horses for the same condition it makes sense to separate them. And certainly, we'll keep our clients in mind as well, as some like to race in certain spots, based on where they are located.”

Brown is based at Palm Meadows in South Florida during the winter and will still call that home, which means Whit Beckman, a Louisville native who oversaw the Kentucky division this year, will be running the shedrow at Fair Grounds.

“Whit has been with us a few years now and has done a terrific job with the Kentucky string this year,” Brown said. “He's proven himself to be an excellent horseman and will be familiar with a lot of the horses we send to Fair Grounds.”

Though the list of newcomers is clearly led by Brown, there are several other nationally recognized trainers who will have a string at Fair Grounds this winter, including Norm Casse, who will have 21 stalls, while Ignacio Correas (26), Cherie DeVaux (22), Tommy Drury (6), Austin Gustafson (22), Anthony Quartarolo (14), Kelly Rubley (15), and Shane Wilson (40) are all new faces.

A smaller presence at Fair Grounds in recent years, Keith Desormeaux (25) has upped the ante for 2020-21. He's enjoyed local success in the past, winning the Risen Star (G2) in 2013 with 135-1 longshot Ive Struck a Nerve, while Drury could bring G2 winning 3-year-old Art Collector to run in next season's handicap division.

Cox, who pulled clear late last year and won the trainer's title with 40 wins, is the favorite to win it this year and will have the maximum allotted 44 stalls, as will Faucheux, who ran second with 34 wins. Amoss (29 wins) and Asmussen (26) also have 44 stalls, as do top-10 trainers Bret Calhoun, Joe Sharp, Al Stall, and Mike Stidham.

The jockey's race was a meet-long battle last year, as James Graham booted home 63 winners to outlast Mitchell Murrill by one and Colby Hernandez by three, and the trio will again lead the way this year. Florent Geroux (56 wins), Brian Hernandez Jr. (44), Adam Beschizza (44), Shaun Bridgmohan (38), Gabriel Saez (35), and Miguel Mena (32) were all in the top-10 and will be back this winter as well.

Opening Day marks the first of 76 racing days as Fair Grounds will run through March 28. There will be over $7 million in stakes races, highlighted by the March 20, $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. A pocket schedule, along with a complete list of the stakes schedule, can be found here: https://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2020-2021-THOROUGHBRED-RACING-AND-STAKES-CALENDAR.pdf

The post Familiar Stables, And A Few Newcomers, Converging At Fair Grounds This Winter appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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When the Evangeline Training Center closed in 2018, officials acknowledged that many Louisiana Thoroughbred trainers were in need of a facility to stable and train their racehorses.  The Bossier City-Shreveport metroplex offers convenient proximity for shipping to Delta Downs in Vinton, La.; Fair Grounds in New Orleans; Remington Park in Oklahoma as well as upcoming live meets at Sam Houston Race Park and Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Space and availability for Thoroughbreds is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Horsemen are encouraged to contact David Heitzmann, Harrah's Louisiana Downs Director of Racing at (318) 741-2511 or (318) 741-2512 for rates and information.

The post Harrah’s Louisiana Downs Offering Off-Season Training And Stall Space appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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