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News from Louisiana:

HAVRE DE GRACE Likely for Fair Grounds 2012 Debut - NEW ORLEANS - February 12, 2012 – One day after reigning Horse of the Year Havre de Grace accomplished her first official work of the 2012 racing season, her trainer Larry Jones was sounding increasingly positive that the Fox Hill Farm color bearer would run her first race of the year in New Orleans.

Former LA. horsemen's association director sentenced to almost four years in prison - Feb. 3, 2012 - Unmoved by his tearful plea for leniency, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon on Thursday sentenced Sean Alfortish to 46 months in prison for conspiring to rig the elections of the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and then helping himself to money controlled by the agency.

Ramsey relishing his chance to ride again - NEW ORLEANS - January 30, 2012 – Jockey Ramsey Zimmerman knew that coming back to Fair Grounds this winter would not be easy.

“If it was up to me, I would have crawled back to some little track where nobody knew anything about me but my wife wouldn’t let me,” said Zimmerman.

Louisiana panel strikes down phenylbutazone rule; state's graded stakes under threat - Jan. 21, 2012 - The Louisiana state Senate Commerce committee voted Friday to strike down an emergency rule designed to comply with requirements for the grading of stakes races, a decision that may threaten the grades of stakes run later this year in the state, according to officials.

Dapper Delegate, Frankel, Smith, Stall elected to Fair Grounds Hall of Fame - NEW ORLEANS -Jan. 20, 2012 – Four new members have been elected to the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame: Dapper Delegate, the 1965 Louisiana Derby winner; Bobby Frankel, the only trainer to have won all four of Fair Grounds’ marquee season-ending stakes races; J.R. Smith Sr., trainer of several Fair Ground stakes winners, including 1967 Louisiana Derby hero Ask the Fare; and Al Stall Jr., conditioner of more than a dozen Fair Grounds stakes winners and twice the track’s leading trainer.

Medication dispute might affect graded races status at Fair Grounds - New Orleans, LA - Jan 20, 2012 - A dispute over medication policies might have an impact on whether several Fair Grounds stakes races, including the Louisiana Derby, will retain their graded status. Representatives of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, which represents owners and trainers, Friday will argue before the state Senate Commerce Committee that the Louisiana State Racing Commission acted improperly in passing an emergency rule last fall regarding permitted medication for graded stakes.

FAIR GROUNDS DONATES $2,500 TO HORSE RESCUE CHARITIES - NEW ORLEANS - January 14, 2012 – Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots announced on Friday a $2,500 gift to two locally active rescue organizations helping to relocate more than 40 neglected horses discovered last week at a farm in Many, Louisiana, in the northwest part of the state.

DELTA DOWNS AND NEW YORK OTB’S UNABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT FOR SIMULCASTING - WAGERING IS ENCOURAGED THROUGH ALTERNATIVE OUTLETS - VINTON, LA. – Jan. 11, 2012 - Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel and New York OTB’s have been unable to reach an agreement for simulcasting of live racing from Vinton, Louisiana in 2012.

HERE’S TO THE LADIES AND THEIR FUTURES IN 2012 - NEW ORLEANS - Jan. 2, 2012 – Ladies came first at Fair Grounds on New Year’s Eve – several hours before fireworks lit up the Crescent City skyline that silhouettes the picturesque backdrop of the nation’s third oldest Thoroughbred oval.

JOCKEY MARTIN BROWN: LOUISIANA LEGEND RETIRES - NEW ORLEANS - Dec. 22, 2011 – A Louisiana legend – 67-year-old African-American jockey Martin Brown - officially retired with a race named in his honor during last weekend’s Santa Super Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Alfonso Lujan wins his fifth consecutive riding title at Evangeline Downs - Opelousas, Louisiana –Dec. 21, 2011 - Despite missing the last six nights of the season due to a morning training incident, Alfonso Lujan notched his fifth consecutive leading rider title at the 2011 Fall Quarter Horse season at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino.

Evangeline Downs to Present the First Ever Turf Race for Quarter Horses in Louisiana - Opelousas, Louisiana –Dec. 10, 2011 - Turf racing for Quarter Horses makes its debut in the state of Louisiana on Friday evening, December 16when a field of eight is set to square off in the $35,000 Au Revoir Stakes. The event, an overnight stakes race written by Evangeline Downs Racing Secretary Coleman Lloyd at the request of several quarter horse connections is for quarter horses that are ages three years old and older and is set at the distance of 870 yards.

LOUISIANA DERBY EARLY BIRD NOMS CLOSE MONDAY - NEW ORLEANS - Dec. 10, 2011 – Fair Grounds racing secretary Jason Boulet and stakes coordinator Scott Jones remind horsemen that “Early Bird” nominations to the 99th running of the Grade II Louisiana Derby – to be contested at nine furlongs and for a purse of $1 million for the second time this year – close this Monday, December 12.

FG’s Claiming Crown attracting trainer Woodard - NEW ORLEANS - Dec. 3, 2011 - Trainer Joe Woodard holds the Churchill Downs record of saddling an unprecedented 10 consecutive winners at the Twin Spires oval and has also won multiple training titles at Turfway Park, River Downs and Beulah Park, but the Kentucky-born conditioner hadn’t been to New Orleans in at least 15 years until he stepped off a plane at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Thursday afternoon.

Jockey C.J. McMahon Apprentice on the Brink of National Prominence - by Martha Claussen for SureBet - There is a new apprentice Thoroughbred rider who has accomplished a great deal in a short, six-month period. While he might have been known to racing fans who follow the Louisiana circuit, young C.J. McMahon is well on his way to becoming a rider with a prosperous future ahead.

Jockey Graham cracking again at Fair Grounds; FG’s Inaugural ‘Legends Purse’ Permeates Past of Crescent City Racing - NEW ORLEANS (Sunday, November 27, 2011) –Irish-born jockey James Graham, a wintertime resident of New Orleans, has been on a roll of late and he’s off to a fast start once again this season during the140th meeting at Fair Grounds.

G1 Sire Canadian Frontier to LeMesa Stallions in Louisiana - Nov. 18, 2011 - Canadian Frontier , sire of New York grade I winners Hilda's Passion and No Such Word, will stand in 2012 for $3,500 at Brett Brinkman’s LeMesa Stallions near Carencro, La. He formerly stood at Brereton C. Jones’ Airdrie Stud near Midway, Ky.

G1 Ed Burke Million Winner First Down Illusion to Robicheaux Ranch - BREAUX BRIDGE, LA—Nov. 17, 2011—First Down Illusion, winner of the 2010 Ed Burke Million Futurity(G1) will begin his stallion career in 2012 at Robicheaux Ranch, Inc., near Breaux Bride, Louisiana. His fee has been set at $2,500.

Delta Downs Jackpot hits the jackpot - Nov. 16, 2011 - The Grade 3, $1 million race at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., will have a Grade 1 winner in the field for the first time Saturday after trainer Bob Baffert on Monday committed Drill, the Del Mar Futurity winner, to the 1 1/16-mile race. The Jackpot was inaugurated in 2002.

$1M Delta Downs Jackpot - Live on Sirius XM Radio - VINTON, LA. – Nov. 16, 2011 - Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel announced that the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (Gr. III) will be broadcast live at 4:15 p.m. CST as “The Race of the Week” on Sirius XM Radio on Saturday, November 19.

Grade 3 Winner Hez Fast As Cash to Hebert Quarter Horses - WELSH, LA—Nov. 1, 2011—Noe and Starla Martinez, Jr's multiple grade 3 winner Hez Fast As Cash will stand the 2012 season at Hebert Quarter Horses, near Welsh, Louisiana. His fee is $1,500.

Champion American Runaway to Hart Farms - Oct. 28, 2011 - Champion 2-year-old and champion 2-year-old colt American Runaway will kick off his stallion career in 2012 at Chad Hart's Hart Farms near Kaplan, Louisiana. His fee has been set at $3,500.

$1M Delta Downs Jackpot attracts record number of nominations - VINTON, LA. – Oct. 27, 2011 - Nominations for this year’s $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (Gr. III) closed on Saturday with a record number of 252 possible starters making the list. That number represents an increase of 5.8% over last year’s total of 238 nominations, which had marked the highest number since the race began in 2002.

Fair Grounds' historic 140th Thoroughbred racing season big plans, fresh faces and new wagers - NEW ORLEANS, LA - Oct. 26, 2011 - Horse racing fans have plenty of reason to be excited for the upcoming milestone 140th Thoroughbred Racing Season at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, from the growing number of major stakes days to the addition of at least a dozen new trainers, not to mention an expanded and improved Wagering Menu.

Multiple Stakes Sire Fly Jess Fly to Delta Equine Center - VINTON, LA—OCTOBER 18, 2011—Grade 1 placed and multiple stakes sire Fly Jess Fly will stand the 2012 season at Delta Equine Center near Vinton, Louisiana. His fee has been set at $2,000.

2011 Claiming Crown Nomination Deadline is Friday, October 21; Two NHC Berths Up for Grabs in TwinSpires.com Handicapping Contest - Lexington, KY - Oct. 14, 2011 – Next Friday, October 21 is the nomination deadline for 2011 running of the $500,000, six-race Claiming Crown, which is scheduled for Saturday, December 3 at Fair Ground Race Course & Slots. Friday, October 21 is also the deadline by which any horses made eligible to the 2011 Claiming Crown via open nomination must be named by the owner or his authorized agent. Open nominations for which no horse has been identified by 12:00 midnight EDT on Friday, October 21, 2011 are invalid.

Delta Downs helps local Middle School - Vinton, La. - Oct. 14, 2011 - Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel has recently announced that it has made an $8,000 contribution to the Calcasieu Parish School Board to purchase new computers for the computer lab at Vinton Middle School.

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.

Stoli sold and moves to Louisiana - Oct. 6, 2011 - Champion and world champion sire Stoli has been purchased by Bobby D. Cox and Chad Hart from the Stoli Syndicate. He will stand the 2012 season at Hart Farms near Kaplan, Louisiana.

Toast To Dash Returns to Louisiana - Oct. 6, 2011 - Champion 2-year-old Toast To Dash, who earned $553,181 during this race career, is returning to Louisiana to stand at Robicheaux Ranch. His fee has been set at $4,000, with consideration.

Evangeline Downs kicks off 2011 QH meet - Opelousas, Louisiana –The 2011 Quarter Horse meet at Evangeline Downs kicks off this Wednesday, October 5th at 5:40 p.m. Central Time. This year’s meet will feature a total of 46-nights of racing, the same amount offered in 2010. Running primarily on a four-evening a week schedule, the fall season will feature racing on Wednesday thru Saturday evenings with additional racing offered on Tuesday evenings on the following dates, November 22, December 6, and December 13 and will run thru Saturday, December 17, 2011. There will be no racing on Thursday, November 24, Thanksgiving Day.

Louisiana Thoroughbred sale posts major increases - West Monroe, LA - Sept. 29, 2011 - The Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana’s yearling auction posted major increases of 41.6% in its average price and 34.3% in its median price while experiencing a downturn in the buy-back rate Sept. 27.

Taste of Paradise to Fanlew in Louisiana - September 28, 2011 - Taste of Paradise , a grade I winner and second in the 2005 TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I), will stand in 2012 at Ray and Kathy Paul’s Fanlew Farm near Sarepta, La. The 12-year-old son of Conquistador Cielo will stand for $2,500 on behalf of Pope McLean’s Crestwood Farm and David Bloom. Bloom, the co-breeder of Taste of Paradise, raced the Mr. Prospector grandson first in partnership and then alone.

249 Consigned to LQHBA Fall Mixed Sale - Kinder, LA - Sept. 14, 2011 - Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders' Association will conduct their 2011 Fall Mixed Sale October 15th at the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder.

Champion Buccaneer Beach to Louisiana For 2012 - VINTON, LA—Sept. 13, 2011 - AQHA Racing's Champion Aged Stallion Buccaneer Beach will stand the 2012 breeding season at Delta Equine Center near Vinton, Louisiana. His fee has been set at $1,250.

Diego Saenz earns leading rider title at Evangeline Downs - Opelousas, Louisiana – Sept. 14, 2011 - Diego Saenz, the 32-year-old native of Chihuahua, Mexico dominated a talented and deep riding colony en route to recording his second leading rider title in the past three years at Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino at the recently concluded 88-night spring/summer racing season.

Former LHBPA director pleads guilty to conspiracy - Sept. 2, 2011 - Less than a week before he was scheduled to go to trial in federal court, Sean Alfortish pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to conspiring to rig the elections of the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, then helping himself to funds controlled by the agency.

More Questions surface as trial set to begin in alleged rigging of LHBPA elections - NEW ORLEANS - August 31, 2011 - Former Kenner Judge Sean Alfortish is set to stand trial next week, accused of rigging an election to remain president of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association while raiding the organization for lavish perks.

LQHBA Yearling Sale Numbers Up - Kinder, LA - August 13, 2011 - The LQHBA Louisiana-bred Yearling Sale ended its two-day run on Saturday evening in Kinder with impressive numbers compared to last year. The sale began an uptick on Friday and continued to rise in average, median and gross receipts through Saturday.

Deadline for 2011 Claiming Crown Approaching - Lexington, KY, August 13, 2011 – The Friday, August 26 deadline for regular ($100) and open ($250) nominations to the 2011 running of the $500,000 Claiming Crown is approaching quickly. Additionally, TwinSpires.com will be hosting a handicapping contest in conjunction with the 13th renewal of the Claiming Crown, which will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans.

Delta Downs unveils stakes schedule, Jackpot program - July 30, 2011 - Delta Downs has released its 2011-2012 Thoroughbred stakes schedule, which includes 30 races and over $4 million in total purse money.

Former official from horsemen's group pleads guilty in election fraud - July 29, 2011 - The former executive director of the organization that represents Louisiana horsemen pleaded guilty Tuesday to her role in an election fraud scheme that prosecutors said was designed to keep her and the association's president in positions of power so they could help themselves to the group's assets.

Gov. Jindal appoints Ben Guilbeau Jr. to La. Racing Commission - BATON ROUGE, La. — July 20, 2011 - Gov. Bobby Jindal has appointed Ben Guilbeau Jr. of Lake Charles to the Louisiana Racing Commission.

The commission enforces horse racing regulations, proposes legislation and oversees the "legitimate performance" of racing animals and parimutuel betting in the state. The board has 13 members appointed by the governor and is subject to Senate confirmation.

Fair Grounds boosts Thoroughbred Purses, 140th Season Features 60 Stakes Worth $7.5 Million - NEW ORLEANS, June 30, 2011 –Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has boosted the purses of 19 open-company races on its 2011-2012 stakes schedule released today. The 84-day 140th Thoroughbred Racing Season – running Nov. 24, 2011 to April 1, 2012 – will feature 60 stakes cumulatively worth $7.54 million, including six Claiming Crown stakes worth $500,000 to be hosted in New Orleans for the first time Dec. 3.

Quarter Horse meet will feature record nine stakes, New LQHBA Sales Futurity Carries Estimated $290,000 Purse - NEW ORLEANS -June 24, 2011 - Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will offer a record nine stakes races during September’s Summer Quarter Horse Meet, highlighted by the new $290,000 (estimated) Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Futurity.

Evangeline Downs announces Lafayette Stakes move - Opelousas, Louisiana – June 23, 2011 - Evangeline Downs’ Racing Secretary Coleman Lloyd has announced that the $100,000 Lafayette Stakes will now be contested on Saturday, August 13 instead of Monday, September 5, Labor Day where it has traditionally been held.

Star Guitar Louisiana Horse of the year - Shreveport, LA - June 13, 2011 - The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association honored its 2010 accredited Louisiana-bred champions at its annual membership meeting June 10 in Shreveport. Brittlyn Stable’s homebred Star Guitar was named Horse of the Year and top older male.

> Delta has been granted an 88-date Thoroughbred meet from Oct. 19, 2011 to March 17, 2012. The track will race on a Wednesday-through-Saturday basis. There will be no live racing on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve, with special Tuesday cards added on the weeks of those holidays. The meet’s premiere race, the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot, is Nov. 19. The 1 1/16-mile stakes for 2-year-olds will be held on a special afternoon card that will include the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess.

QH Noticias Launch - SureBet Racing News, May 17, 2011 - On May 27th SureBet Racing News will launch a sister website for Spanish-speaking Quarter Horse racing horsemen, breeders and fans. The address for this new site is www.qhnoticias.com . There is no membership fee, and the site is free for everyone to visit.

Louisiana Horsemen's audit, missing 1M - May 8, 2011 - A state audit due out Monday on the nonprofit group that represents racehorse owners and trainers is expected to show that it improperly raided more than $1 million from a medical trust account while spending heavily on political lobbying and travel to the Cayman Islands, Aruba, Costa Rica and Los Cabos, Mexico -- sapping the account and possibly forcing delays in medical benefits for plan members.

2011 American Quarter Horse Meet Going Strong at Delta Downs - April 29, 2011 - Special report by Martha Claussen - They are off and running at Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino. The 2011 American Quarter Horse meet began on April 15 at the Vinton, La., racetrack with fast horses, plentiful slot machines and even errant alligators. More on that later in this feature.

Borel to ride Sunland Park Derby G3 winner Twice the Appeal - Jockey Calvin Borel, winner of the Kentucky Derby three of the past four years, has found his way into the Run for the Roses again this year aboard Twice the Appeal winner of the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby G3. DERBY VIDEOS

1M Delta Downs Jackpot moved - Vinton, LA – April 22, 2011 - Following its most successful racing program in track history, Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD) announced that this year’s $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot (gr. III) for 2-year-olds at its Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel will be held on the afternoon of Saturday, November 19.

140th thoroughbred season to open thanksgiving day; LSRC Approves 84-Day Meet, Nov. 24 to April 1; Wednesday Racing Replaces Mondays; 2011 Quarter Horse Meet Expanded to 12 Days in September - NEW ORLEANS (April 20, 2011) – The 140th Thoroughbred Racing Season at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will encompass 84 live racing days, from Nov. 24, 2011 to April 1, 2012. In addition, Fair Grounds will expand its upcoming Summer Quarter Horse Meet to 12 live racing days over three weeks, Wednesdays to Saturdays, Sept. 7-24, 2011. The dates were approved at Monday’s quarterly meeting of the Louisiana State Racing Commission.

Jockey Rosie Napravnik blossoming ahead of time - April 13, 2011 - There is little about Rosie Napravnik's life that doesn't move with head-snapping speed these days — whether she is guiding a horse through a stretch run or hustling after the morning works to satisfy some of the people who have made her among the most in-demand figures in Thoroughbred racing.

Seelig takes over reins at LHBPA - April 9, 2011 - Horse owner Stanley Seelig will take over as president of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, a non-profit organization that represents racehorse owners and trainers.

Fair Grounds donates $10,000 to Children’s Hospital; End of Season Giving Also Includes $7,000 to Horse Rescue Groups - NEW ORLEANS - April 7, 2011 – Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots presented a $10,000 check to Children’s Hospital at the charity’s annual Sugarplum Ball held here Friday night. The amount represented $1 from every general admission sold on Louisiana Derby Day, plus a bit of “lagniappe” from Fair Grounds to push the total to a suitably round number.

Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino to open 2011 season on Wednesday - Opelousas, LA - April 4, 2010 –Thoroughbred racing with a Cajun accent and a beefed up Stakes program returns to South-Central Louisiana for the 46th consecutive year as Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino kicks off the 2011 89-night spring/summer season on Wednesday, April 6. Known nationwide as the “Home of the biggest fields”, Evangeline Downs has averaged slightly more than 10 runners per race over the past four spring/summer thoroughbred racing seasons, a distinction that only the Opelousas, La. oval can claim.

Fifty-Cent Trifecta added to wagering lineup at Evangeline Downs - Opelousas, LA - March 30, 2011 –Evangeline Downs fans will have the chance to test out a new wager when the South-Central Louisiana track opens the 2011 Spring/Summer meeting Wednesday, April 6.

DELTA DOWNS CLOSES OUT ANOTHER EXCITING MEET OF THOROUGHBRED RACING - VINTON, LA. – March 30, 2011 - Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel wrapped up its 2010-2011 Thoroughbred Meeting last Saturday night. The 88-day stand included numerous highlights, including some that could have a bearing on this year’s Triple Crown races.

2011 Claiming Crown Nomination Schedule and Forms Now Available - Lexington, KY, March 24, 2011 – The nomination schedule and forms for the 2011 running of the $500,000 Claiming Crown are now available on the newly redesigned ClaimingCrown.com website, and nominations are now being accepted by Claiming Crown, Ltd. The 13th renewal of the Claiming Crown will be held on December 3, 2011 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans.

Average up slightly for the 2011 John Franks Memorial Two-Year-Old in Training Sale at Evangeline Downs - Opelousas, Louisiana – March 22, 2011 - The 9th edition of the John Franks Memorial Two-Year-Old in Training Sale at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino on Sunday, March 20 recorded a slight increase in average sales price while also posting declines in horses sold and total receipts.

Napravnik likely to become Fair Ground’s first female jockey title winner; Jockey Albarado readies for return - NEW ORLEANS - March 14, 2011 – Good morning, New Orleans! Do you know who your leading rider is this winter? Here at Fair Grounds, the nation’s third oldest Thoroughbred race course and a local landmark for well over a hundred years, the soon-to-be crowned jockey champion at the 2010-2011 meeting which ends in two weeks will assuredly not be crowned as king but instead as a queen.

FAIR GROUNDS OAKS RAISED TO $500K - Five closing weekend stakes get purse bumps; overnight fields of 10-plus will run for 25% more - NEW ORLEANS - March 12, 2011 – The purse for the March 26 Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has been boosted to $500,000 (from $400,000), making it the richest prep race for 3-year-old fillies pointing to the prestigious May 6 Kentucky Oaks.

Asmussen, Peace Rules, Rachel Alexandra elected to Fair Grounds Hall of Fame - NEW ORLEANS - March 12, 2011 – Three new members have been elected to the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame: Steve Asmussen, a nine-time leading trainer at Fair Grounds; Peace Rules, the 2003 Louisiana Derby and 2004 New Orleans Handicap winner; and Rachel Alexandra, the dominant 2009 Fair Grounds Oaks winner. The first Fair Grounds Hall of Fame class since 2005 will be inducted March 24, the Thursday prior to the $1 million Louisiana Derby, at a ceremony in the Fair Grounds Clubhouse.

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