Super Derby gets longer, richer
Louisiana Downs has boosted the purse of the Grade 2 Super Derby to $750,000 for its 2005 running, and has also increased the distance of the race to 1 1/4 miles. For the past eight years, the Super Derby - the track's premier race - has been worth $500,000, and since 2002 it has been run over 1 1/8 miles.
The Super Derby will be run on Oct. 1, and be telecast live on ESPN.
Louisiana Downs, which operates a slots casino, also announced on Thursday that daily purses for the upcoming meet have been increased from $187,000 a program to $210,000 and released its stakes schedule. The meet will have its earliest opening since 1996 this year, with the season set to begin on April 29. Louisiana Downs will race 93 days through Oct. 9.
The purse of the Super Derby was $750,000 from 1992 through 1996, and $1 million from 1987 through 1991. In its early years, it was worth $500,000. Louisiana Downs installed slot machines in 2003.
"These are exciting times," said Ray Tromba, vice president of racing operations for Louisiana Downs. "Three years ago when Harrah's purchased Louisiana Downs, I said then it would take three to five years to stabilize the racing program and then try to grow it. I'm happy to say we're seeing some decent strides now as we turn the corner on this year."
Tromba said the purse of the Super Derby was boosted only after an increase for overnight purses was established for 2005.
"We had to do better for the entire racing program," said Tromba.
The Super Derby, now the second richest race in Louisiana behind the $1 million Delta Jackpot, had been run at 1 1/4 miles from 1980 to 2001.
"Returning to the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles is obviously a better fit for any prospective 3-year-olds looking for more, i.e., the Breeders' Cup," said Tromba.
The Super Derby is also being run about a week later this year in an effort to allow for the best possible spacing between other fall races for 3-year-olds and the Breeders' Cup.
There will be three other stakes on the Super Derby undercard, and the purse for one of them, the Harrah's Juvenile on turf, was boosted from $75,000 to $125,000 with the addition of Breeders' Cup funds. Other races of interest include the stakes that will make up the Louisiana Breeders' Festival on Sept. 17. There will be eight statebred stakes for Thoroughbreds and four for Quarter Horses, with total purses on the day of $880,000.
In all, 63 stakes worth slightly more than $4 million will be decided. Tromba said daily first post has been moved up this meet to 1:30 p.m. Central.
2005 stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Fri.,April 29 | John Franks Memorial | 3YO & Up* | 1 mile (T) | $50,000 |
| Sat.,April 30 | Alliance | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,May 1 | Fantasia | 3YO F* | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 7 | Honeymoon | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 14 | Suthern Accent | F&M, 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sun.,May 15 | Excalibur | 3YO | 1 mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | Dixie Miss | 3YO F | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 28 | Chapel Belle | 3YO F | 1 mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,May 29 | Kings Court | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Mon.,May 30 | Barksdale Handicap | 3YO & Up | 1 mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,June 4 | Old South Handicap | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,June 5 | Arcadia | 3YO* | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,June 11 | Bossier City Handicap | 3YO | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,June 18 | Ark-La-Tex Handicap | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sun.,June 19 | Fleur de Lis | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 mile, 70 yards | 40,000 |
| Sat.,June 25 | Rebel | 2YO F | 5 furlongs | 40,000 |
| Sun.,June 26 | Pioneer | 2YO | 5 furlongs | 40,000 |
| Sat.,July 2 | Total Rewards | 3YO & Up | 5 furlongs (T) | 50,000 |
| Mon.,July 4 | Independence Handicap | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 9 | Lorelei | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 16 | Airline | 3YO | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sun.,July 17 | Hallowed Dreams | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 23 | Southern Belle | 2YO F* | 5 1/2 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sun.,July 24 | Delicada | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat.,July 30 | Island Whirl Handicap | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sun.,July 31 | Southern Beau | 2YO* | 5 1/2 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,Aug. 6 | Senorita | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,Aug. 7 | Blue Skies Handicap | 3YO & Up | 1 mile, 70 yards | 40,000 |
| Sat.,Aug. 13 | Minstrel | 2YO | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sun.,Aug. 14 | Sangue Handicap | F&M, 3YO & Up | 7 1/2 furlongs (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,Aug. 20 | Elge Rasberry (Sales Graduate) | 3YO F* | 1 mile (T) | 75,000 |
| Sun.,Aug. 21 | A. L. (Red) Erwin (Sales Graduate) | 3YO* | 1 mile (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Aug. 27 | Folklore Handicap | 3YO & Up | 6 1/2 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sun.,Aug. 28 | Princess | 2YO F | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 3 | Lyrique Handicap | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,Sept. 4 | Sport City Handicap | 3YO & Up | 1 1/4 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Mon.,Sept. 5 | Prelude | 3YO | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 10 | River Cities Breeders' Cup | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 100,000 |
| Sun.,Sept. 11 | South Mississippi | 3YO & Up (MS) | 7 furlongs | 40,000 |
| Fri.,Sept. 16 | Alabama Belle | F&M, 3YO & Up** | 6 furlongs | 55,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | Stardust | 2YO* | 6 furlongs | 60,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | Cajun | 3YO & Up* | 6 furlongs | 60,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | Shiskabob | 3YO & Up* | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | LA Breeders' Derby | 3YO* | 1 1/16 miles | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | Laurel Lane | 2YO F* | 6 furlongs | 60,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | Victoria | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 6 furlongs | 60,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | Walmac INT'L Matchmaker | F&M, 3YO & Up* | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | LA. Breeders' Oaks | 3YO F* | 1 1/16 miles | 85,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | La.-Bred Quarter Horse Stake | C&G, 3YO* | 350 yards | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | La.-Bred Quarter Horse Stake | C&G, 4YO & Up* | 400 yards | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | La.-Bred Quarter Horse Stake | 3YO F* | 350 yards | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 17 | La.-Bred Quarter Horse Stake | F&M, 4YO & Up* | 400 yards | 75,000 |
| Sun.,Sept. 18 | Speed Handicap | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 40,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 24 | Lady Razorback Futurity | 2YO F*** | 6 furlongs | 45,000 |
| Sat.,Sept. 24 | Razorback Futurity | C&G, 2YO*** | 6 furlongs | 45,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 1 | SUPER DERBY XXVI (G2) | 3YO | 1 1/4 miles | 750,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 1 | Harrah's Juvenile B.C. | 2YO | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 125,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 1 | Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks HCP. | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 1 | Donnie Wilhite Memorial | 3YO | 1 mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,Oct. 2 | Harrah's LA. Downs B.C. HCP. | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 125,000 |
| Sun., Oct. 2 | Majorette Handicap | F&M, 3YO & Up | 5 furlongs (T) | 40,000 |
| Sat.,Oct. 8 | Lady Luck | 2YO F | 1 mile (T) | 50,000 |
| Sun.,Oct. 9 | Cornucopia Handicap | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 40,000 |
*La.-bred, **Al.-bred, ***Ark.-bred