Some Louisiana race dates shift

Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., and Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., will each start their meets a little later in 2008 after their date requests for next year were approved during a Louisiana Racing Commission meeting on Friday.

Louisiana Downs will begin its 87-date meet on May 17, about two weeks later than it opened this year. The season will run through Oct. 25. The track will race weekends only the first three weeks of the meet, then shift to the traditional four-day-a-week schedule on June 5. Louisiana Downs was also granted 40 dates of Quarter Horse racing for next year, between Jan. 12 and March 18.

Evangeline Downs will begin its 85-date meet on April 9, about a week later than it opened this year. The season will run through Sept. 1. In other date allotments, Delta Downs in Vinton, La., was granted a 52-date Quarter Horse meet from April 17 through Julyo13.

The Louisiana Racing Commission awards dates twice a year. The schedules for Fair Grounds in New Orleans and Delta's Thoroughbred meet were set in April.

In other business, jockey Jamie Theriot withdrew his appeal of a seven-day suspension for a riding infraction. He began serving his days Sunday. The suspension stemmed from the $100,000 Laurel Lane at Louisiana Downs July 21, in which his mount, Iknowyouthinkimsexy, was disqualified from second to fourth for interference in deep stretch.