Corrects days of week for live racing in first paragraph to “…Wednesdays to Saturdays through Sept. 1.” The previous version incorrectly stated that live racing would be conducted Wednesdays to Sundays.
1751 Gentilly Blvd.,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jim Mulvihill, Communications and Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager, 504.948.1233, james.mulvihill@fgno.com
summer quarter horse meet opens aug. 15
First Summer Night Racing Card Aug. 18;
Twelve-Day Season Features Eight Stakes Worth $410,000
[NOTE: Complete stakes schedule included in PDF attachment. Hi-res images of Quarter Horse racing at Fair Grounds available upon request.]
NEW ORLEANS (Tuesday, July 17, 2012) – Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will present the first summer night racing program in track history on Aug. 18, a Saturday. Fair Grounds’ fifth Summer Quarter Horse Meet opens Aug. 15 and continues Wednesdays to Saturdays through Sept. 1.
First post is 12:40 p.m. every day except Aug. 18, when first post is 4 p.m. That evening, Fair Grounds will present two special events – the inaugural “Tails & Ales” beer tasting featuring scores of offerings from breweries throughout the region and two special races pitting animals not normally associated with racing.
Details on the Aug. 18 events, including ticketing and pricing, will be announced later this week.
General admission for live racing is FREE every day except Aug. 18.
Average daily overnight purses of $140,000 are complemented by a rich stakes schedule worth $410,000, with added-money events scheduled on half of the racing days. The stakes action kicks off with the 350-yard Treme Stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds on Aug. 16. The meet’s richest day is Closing Day, Sept. 1, with three stakes, topped by the $150,000 (estimated) Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Sales Futurity for 2-year-old Louisiana-breds. The trials for that event will comprise the Opening Day program on Aug. 15.
The American Quarter Horse, known as “The World’s Fastest Athlete” for short bursts of speed that can reach as high as 55 miles per hour, competes at sprint distances from 220 yards to 870 yards.
PDF files of the 2012 Summer Quarter Horse Meet Condition Book, Stakes Schedule and Stall Application can be downloaded from the “Horsemen” page of the Fair Grounds website at FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.
2012 Summer Quarter Horse Meet At a Glance
Aug. 15-Sept. 1, Wednesdays to Saturdays (12 days)
First post 12:40 p.m. daily (except Aug. 18, 4 p.m.), 10 races every day (except Aug. 18, 11 races)
Free Grandstand general admission (except Aug. 18)
Food and beverage specials: $1.75 hamburgers and $1.75 draft beer at Oaks Grill (Grandstand third floor)
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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since 1872. Located in
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James J. Mulvihill
Communications & Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
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