Indeed, as a lucrative Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race offering qualification points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis, the Louisiana Derby has cemented its position as a key steppingstone toward the first Saturday in May. Fan favorite Funny Cide used a beaten effort in the Louisiana Derby as a springboard to victory in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, a path replicated by Country House in 2019. Upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2 status in 1999, the Louisiana Derby has continued to produce a steady stream of high-profile horses.

No Le Hace (1972), Golden Act (1979), Woodchopper (1981), and Risen Star (1988) all placed in the Kentucky Derby after winning the Louisiana Derby, and Risen Star later dominated the Preakness and Belmont Stakes (G1) to secure champion 3-year-old male honors. Master Derby parlayed a victory at Fair Grounds into glory in the 1975 Preakness (G1). The first Louisiana Derby winner of note was Black Gold, who followed his success at Fair Grounds with a tenacious half-length score in the “Run for the Roses.” The Louisiana Derby subsequently underwent an extended drought, failing to produce another Derby winner until Grindstone replicated Black Gold’s elusive double in 1996.īut even during this lull period, the Louisiana Derby was slowly gaining in prominence and prestige. And along the way, the race has been won by some unforgettable horses. The purse has risen from a few thousand dollars all the way up to $1 million beginning in 2011.

It’s been held over four different distances, most recently shifting to 1 3 ⁄ 16 miles in 2020. The conditions of the Louisiana Derby have varied widely through the years. The historic race dates back to 1894, which makes the Louisiana Derby almost as old as the Kentucky Derby itself. You won’t find many Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races older than the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Louisiana derby results 2019