NEWS
Fair Grounds to offer night racing
Posted: Friday, January 08, 2010 2:34 PM
FAIR GROUNDS
Lou Hodges Jr. photo
by Jeff Lowe
Fair Grounds will follow the lead of its sister track Churchill Downs and offer three Friday night cards, beginning next Friday. Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc. owns both tracks.
Race cards at the New Orleans track will begin at 5 p.m. CST on January 15, February 19, and March 19 for “Starlight Racing.”
Like Churchill did with three hugely successful night cards last summer, Fair Grounds will shoot for a younger audience, offering a club-style environment in the trackside chalet and themed décor in the clubhouse, along with live music and specialty food and drinks.
Fair Grounds said it urges customers to “dress to impress” for the Starlight Racing cards.
“Starlight Racing marks a complete reimagining of the racetrack experience in New Orleans,” Fair Grounds President Austin Miller said. “Live racing remains the centerpiece, but on our three Starlight Racing dates we will complement the on-track action with upscale entertainment to make for a complete night on the town. We’re excited to show the city a new side of horse racing where young professionals who have never been to the track and casual fans who aren’t gamblers will have as much fun here as our loyal regulars. Based on the tremendous response to our most popular annual programs, like Thanksgiving and Louisiana Derby Day, we are eager to offer additional opportunities for fans to ‘see and be seen’ at the races.”
Churchill’s average attendance was 29,705 for three “Downs After Dark” cards in June and July. The Louisville track will have permanent lighting in place for six Friday night cards in 2010.
Fair Grounds already has permanent lighting, both for training and occasional late races that bridge the afternoon and evening.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
