Quite a few Trainers, Jose Ortiz Making Truthful Grounds Plans

Truthful Grounds Race Course & Slots’ 153rd Thoroughbred racing season is about to open on Friday, Nov. 22, kicking off 76 days of stay racing by way of Sunday, March 23.

Enticed by Truthful Grounds’ $8.875 million in mixed stakes purses for 2024 – 2025, thriving turf course, and unparalleled “Highway to the Derby” collection, a number of of the game’s prime trainers can have an elevated presence on the bottom and two Eclipse-winning jockeys will head south on the lookout for their first alternative to shine within the Crescent Metropolis.

Following their much-celebrated successes on the sports activities’ prime phases, Ken McPeek, Brendan Walsh, and Cherie DeVaux every have been awarded an elevated variety of stalls. McPeek returns to Truthful Grounds after saddling the winner in each Kentucky Derby 150 and Kentucky Oaks 150, the primary time since 1952 {that a} coach has swept each races in the identical 12 months. 

The 153rd meet will proceed the custom of showcasing prime expertise from perennial main trainers Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen, in addition to Tom Amoss, Al Stall Jr., Joe Sharp, Dallas Stewart, Bret Calhoun, and final 12 months’s main conditioner, Shane Wilson.

Each Phil Bauer and Whit Beckman can have near double the variety of stalls from final 12 months. Different trainers of notice who can have an elevated presence are Lindsay Schultz, Rob Atras, Chris Block, and Tanner Tracy.

Key recent faces who didn’t have a string at Truthful Grounds final 12 months embrace Brittany Russell, Will Walden, Ignacio Correas, Linda Rice, and Michael Tomlinson.

Having relocated to Kentucky’s racing circuit from New York final spring, jockey Jose Ortiz will attempt to replicate his Churchill Downs successes this winter in New Orleans. Boasting greater than 3,000 profession wins, Ortiz is likely one of the prime riders in North America and in 2017 was adorned with the Eclipse Award for Excellent Jockey. With wins within the 2022 Preakness (G1) and 2017 Belmont (G1), just one jewel is absent from his Triple Crown resume. 

Truthful Grounds’ will welcome again Louisiana-native Brian Hernandez Jr., who secured his spot within the historical past books by profitable each the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, piloting Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna to develop into the ninth jockey ever to perform an Oaks/Derby double. Over the summer season, Hernandez Jr. was chosen because the 2024 Mike Venezia Memorial Award recipient for his extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.

Winner of the 2023 Eclipse Award for Excellent Apprentice Jockey, Axel Concepcion shall be an thrilling new presence for the 153rd racing season. Becoming a member of him shall be one other rising star, as Jeiron Barbosa will transfer his tack to Truthful Grounds from the Maryland circuit. Barbosa was a finalist for the apprentice Eclipse Award in 2022. 

$325,000 in purse will increase are scheduled for the observe’s 63-race stakes program, highlighted by a lift in two “Highway to the Derby” races. The purse for the Lecomte (G3) elevated to $250,000, up $50,000 from final 12 months. The purse for the Risen Star (G2) shall be bumped from $400,000 to $500,000. Final 12 months’s winner Sierra Leone went on to run second within the Kentucky Derby and later win the Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1).

In 2024, the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve was but once more dominated by the expertise touring by way of Truthful Grounds’ “Highway to the Derby” prep races, as the entire prime six finishers, minus the 2 who shipped in from Japan, both raced or educated at Truthful Grounds forward of their excellence on the primary Saturday in Could. 

With its signature development, the collection begins at 1 1/16 miles for the $100,000 Gun Runner (Dec. 21) and the Lecomte (Jan. 18). The $500,000 Risen Star (Feb. 15) extends to 1 1/8 miles, whereas the Grade 2 $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby (March 22) is a 1 3/16-mile take a look at for the 3-year-olds. 

Closing weekend of the 2024 – 2025 meet will showcase the centennial working of the $500,000 New Orleans Basic introduced by Relyne GI By Hagyard (G2).

The historic observe positioned in New Orleans’ Mid-Metropolis neighborhood of Bayou St John will proceed its celebrated traditions which are a magnet for giant, festive crowds, together with the a centesimal working of the Thanksgiving Basic (Nov. 28), Louisiana Champions Day (Dec. 14), Unique Animal Races (Jan. 14 & Feb. 1), Wiener Canine Races (March 8), and the Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes & Survivor’s Second Line (March 23).

Common put up time for the 76-day, 2024-2025 Truthful Grounds racing season shall be 12:45 p.m. CT. There shall be an earlier midday CT first put up on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28), Highway to the Derby Kickoff Day (Dec. 21), Highway to the Derby Day (Jan. 18) Louisiana Derby Preview Day (Feb. 15), and Louisiana Derby Day (March 22).

Entries shall be drawn for opening day on Friday, Nov. 15. Situation E book #1 will be discovered right here.

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