Horse Racing: Louisiana Derby sees a purse boast
Vice president and general manager of Fair Ground race course and slots which hosts the annual grade II Louisiana Derby, Eric Halstrom, has announced that next year when the race is run it would be worth a million dollars. This represents a $250,000 increase in purse from last year. This is the second time the purse for the race has been bumped up in its many years of existence. Around the same time last year the purse which then stood at $500,000 was increased to $750,000.
The $1 million dollar purse would be the highest ever offered for a race in Louisiana. Through the 2010-2011 season an astounding $6.7 million in purses would be on offer with an average purse size of $106,000. The race, which would be in its 98th year, is scheduled for March 26, 2011. The 1 1/8 mile race is open to 3 year old's and is considered a prerequisite for horses hoping to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
Churchill Downs Inc. Vice president of racing, Donald R. Richardson said that the Kentucky Derby was the most famous racing event in the world and an asset to Churchill Downs. “If the Kentucky Derby is our sport's Super Bowl, then the Louisiana Derby should be our must-see conference championship game.”
This year’s Louisiana Derby has proved to be the launching-pad for some of the most successful horses of the year. Every one of the Louisiana Derby starters who remained in training have since won at least one race. The winner this year was ‘Mission Impazible’ who was sidelined after a 9th place finish in the Kentucky Derby due to a knee injury. Second place finisher, ‘A Little Warm’ has won both of his races since the Louisiana Derby including the Jim Dandy Stakes. A special mention should go to ‘Drosselmeyer’ of course who won a leg of the American Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. He had placed third in the Louisiana Derby. Fourth place finisher, ‘Discreetly Mine’ has since won the grade 3 Jersey Shore and grade 2 Amsterdam stakes.
“Our goal is to make the Louisiana Derby the number one Kentucky Derby prep race and a $1 million purse puts us on par with any of them,” Eric Halstrom said. He added that the monthly progression of their 3-year-old stakes series makes them an attractive destination for horses trying to earn the winning they would need to make the Kentucky Derby.
Vice President Richardson said that the increased Louisiana Derby purse will make it easier for the top finisher of the race to amass the graded earning required to make the Kentucky Derby line up. It took over $225,000 in graded earning to qualify for the Kentucky Derby this year, a record for the event. “Next year I believe horsemen are going to be more careful about choosing to run only in the richest graded events,” Richardson said.
Fair Grounds general manager Halstrom was pleased by the fact that the purse for the Louisiana Derby was raised without impacting the funds for of any other of their overnight hefty purses.
However in a separate press release it was announced that at least five stakes races had been cut from Fair Ground’s 2011 schedule. The official explanation for those cuts was that the races had been producing small fields. Fair Grounds Racing Secretary Jason Boulet said that the crowds didn’t want races with small fields and little competition. “The only people that like to see short fields are the connections of the favourites,” he said. Boulet added that with the cuts they can now move money to more competitive races improving the quality of the overall event.
In the Fair Grounds stakes extravaganza only one race would face a reduction in purse size, the New Orleans Ladies stakes. In all, 5 grade II and grade III races would be featured at Fair Grounds this season. The Season opens in the first week of November.
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