Fair Grounds Oaks

Grade II race
Fair Grounds Oaks
Location	Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans, Louisiana
Inaugurated	1966
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Black-Eyed Susan Day
Race information
Distance	1-1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-old fillies
Weight	122 lb (55.3 kg)
Purse	$500,000

The Fair Grounds Oaks is a race for Grade II Thoroughbred horses run at the end of March at Fair Grounds Race Course each year. The Oaks is open to fillies, age three, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, and offers a purse of $500,000. The race is considered a prep race to the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, including the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Mother Goose Stakes.

Race history

The race was inaugurated in 1966. It was first graded in 1982 as was run as a grade three race from 1982-2000. In the year 2000 the race was upgraded to a grade two race. The race was not held in 1979 and in 2006 the race was cancelled due to massive damage inflicted upon Fair Grounds Race Course by Hurricane Katrina. The race was run as the Coca-Cola Fair Ground Oaks in 1989 and 1990. In 1977 the race was run twice, in both March and December.

The race has produced numerous Kentucky Oaks winners, including Tiffany Lass, Blushing K.D., Silverbulletday, Ashado, Summerly, Proud Spell, Rachel Alexandra and Believe You Can.

Records

Speed record:

• 1-1/16 miles - 1:42.20 - Blushing K. D. (1997)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 - Donnie Meche (1997, 2000 & 2003)

Winners of the Fair Grounds Oaks since 1993

Previous Winners

See also

• Road to the Kentucky Oaks

References

• The Fair Grounds Oaks at Pedigree Query
• The 2008 Fair Grounds Oaks at the NTRA