NOMINATIONS CLOSE FOR DELTA DOWNS’ FIRST STAKES RACES OF THE SEASON - JEAN LAFITTE AND MY TRUSTY CAT ATTRACT 181 COMBINED NOMINATIONS

VINTON, LA. – Oct. 12, 2011 - Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel kicks off its 2011-2012 Thoroughbred Season on Wednesday, October 19. The opening week of action will include the $200,000 Jean Lafitte and the $150,000 My Trusty Cat Stakes, which will take place on Saturday, October 22.

Nominations for the rich opening weekend stakes closed last Saturday and each event drew plenty of interest as 95 horses were nominated for the Jean Lafitte and 86 names were thrown into the hat for the My Trusty Cat.

The Jean Lafitte is for 2-year-olds hoping to make it to the season’s richest race, the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot. The My Trusty Cat is for 2-year-old fillies that aspire to run in the $500,000 Delta Downs Princess. The $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot and the $500,000 Delta Downs Princess will both be run on Saturday, November 19 and are the only graded stakes races of the meeting. Each race carries grade III status.

This year’s Delta Downs Jackpot program will feature eight stakes races in all and nearly $2.2 million in total purse money awarded. The track will conduct a special 11-race afternoon card on Jackpot Day, which will include an early post time of 1:15 p.m.

To learn more about the upcoming season as well as Delta Downs Jackpot Day, visit the track’s website at www.deltadowns.com . To get more specific information about the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot, go to www.deltadownsjackpot.com .

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.