# Fair Grounds Stakes

The Fair Grounds Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older run over a distance of about 1+1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) on the turf annually in mid-February at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. It currently offers a purse of $175,000.

## History

The event was inaugurated on 21 February 1988 as the featured tenth race called the Fair Grounds Budweiser Breeders' Cup with sponsorship from Budweiser and the Breeders' Cup with handicap conditions for three-year-olds and older at the distance of about one and one-eighth miles. The event was won by the Irish bred five-year-old Top Guest in a time of 1:541⁄5. Top Guest had previously won the Stockholm Cup International as a three-year-old.
Budweiser ceased their sponsorship in 1995 while the Breeders' Cup continued until 2006.
The event was upgraded in 2006 to Grade III. That same year, 2006, the event was moved to Louisiana Downs due to the after effects of Hurricane Katrina which damaged the Fair Grounds racetrack.
Two horses have won the event three times. Yukon Gold won the event three consecutive times for in 1993 through 1995. Yukon Gold's third victory was on dirt since the event was moved off the turf. Mystery Giver also won the race three times, in 2002 through 2004.
Originally a handicap, in 2020 the conditions of the event were changed to a stakes allowance race, thus changing the name of the event to Fair Grounds Stakes.
The event has been held in mid-February since 2010 as is part of Louisiana Derby Preview Day at the New Orleans racetrack.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:47.29 Factor This (2020)
Margins:
* 5+1⁄2 lengths – Joyeux Danseur (1998)
Most wins:
* 3 - Yukon Gold (1993, 1994, 1995)
* 3 - Mystery Giver (2002, 2003, 2004)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 5 - Robby Albarado (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 - Hal Wiggins (1993, 1994, 1995)
* 3 - Richard R. Scherer (2002, 2003, 2004)
* 3 - Brad H. Cox (2015, 2016, 2020)
Most wins by an owner:
* 4 - Team Block (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| At Fair Grounds – Fair Grounds Stakes |||||||||||
| 2025 | Taking Candy | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Cherie DeVaux | Lael Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.44 | $175,000 | III |
| 2024 | Beatbox | 6 | Joel Rosario | Cherie DeVaux | Rob Comestro & Jeff Ganje | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.96 | $175,000 | III |
| 2023 | Two Emmys | 7 | James Graham | Hugh H. Robertson | Wolfe Racing & Hugh H. Robertson | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:54.73 | $145,500 | III |
| 2022 | Cavalry Charge | 5 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Dallas Stewart | West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook & Robert Masiello | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.06 | $150,000 | III |
| 2021 | Captivating Moon | 5 | Marcelino Pedroza | Chris Block | Lothenbach Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.27 | $150,000 | III |
| 2020 | Factor This | 5 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Brad H. Cox | Gaining Ground Racing | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.29 | $150,000 | III |
| Fair Grounds Handicap |||||||||||
| 2019 | Synchrony | 6 | Joe Bravo | Michael Stidham | Pin Oak Stable | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.09 | $150,000 | III |
| 2018 | Synchrony | 5 | Joe Bravo | Michael Stidham | Pin Oak Stable | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.82 | $150,000 | III |
| 2017 | Enterprising | 6 | Julien R. Leparoux | Michael J. Maker | Maxis Stable | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.80 | $122,500 | III |
| 2016 | Chocolate Ride | 6 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Wentworth Brochu | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.31 | $125,000 | III |
| 2015 | Chocolate Ride | 5 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | John Wentworth | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.84 | $125,000 | III |
| 2014 | Potomac River | 5 | Juan P. Vargas | Jose M. Camejo | Maribel Ruelas | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.52 | $147,000 | III |
| 2013 | Optimizer | 4 | Jon Court | D. Wayne Lukas | Calumet Farm | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:56.06 | $145,500 | III |
| 2012 | Smart Bid | 6 | Edgar S. Prado | H. Graham Motion | Augustin Stable | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.91 | $122,500 | III |
| 2011 | Expansion | 6 | Gerard Melancon | Steven M. Asmussen | Millennium Farms & Mike McCarty | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:54.94 | $125,000 | III |
| 2010 | Blues Street | 6 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Anstu Stables | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.71 | $100,000 | III |
| 2009 | Diamond Tycoon | 5 | Julien R. Leparoux | Andrew McKeever | Charlotte Musgrave | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.12 | $125,000 | III |
| 2008 | Daytona (IRE) | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Dan L. Hendricks | Jeff Davenport, Tom Lenner, Jess Ravich & Thomas W. Murray | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.09 | $140,000 | III |
| 2007 | Cloudy's Knight | 7 | Ramsey Zimmerman | James R. McMullen | S J Stables | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.48 | $198,500 | III |
| At Louisiana Downs |||||||||||
| 2006 | Fort Prado | 6 | Robby Albarado | Jeff Trosclair | Team Block | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.16 | $189,800 | III |
| At Fair Grounds |||||||||||
| 2005 | G P Fleet | 5 | Jose R. Martinez Jr. | Steven B. Flint | Richard, Bertram & Elaine Klein | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.79 | $125,000 | Listed |
| 2004 | Mystery Giver | 6 | Robby Albarado | Richard R. Scherer | Team Block | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.77 | $119,500 | Listed |
| 2003 | Mystery Giver | 5 | Robby Albarado | Richard R. Scherer | Team Block | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.41 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 2002 | Mystery Giver | 4 | Eddie Martin Jr. | Richard R. Scherer | Team Block | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.13 | $147,000 | Listed |
| 2001 | Candid Glen | 4 | Elvis Joseph Perrodin | Andrew Leggio Jr. | Glen C. Warren | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:54.03 | $154,349 | Listed |
| 2000 | Profit Option | 5 | Lonnie Meche | Kenneth E. Hoffman | Team Canonie, M. Conway & K. Hoffman | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.52 | $159,100 | Listed |
| 1999 | Aboriginal Apex | 6 | Larry Melancon | Niall M. O'Callaghan | Gary B. Knapp | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.71 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1998 | Joyeux Danseur | 5 | Robby Albarado | Albert Stall Jr. | B. Wayne Hughes | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.60 | $125,000 | Listed |
| 1997 | Snake Eyes | 7 | Robby Albarado | Walter M. Bindner Jr. | Marco Bommarito | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.65 | $147,470 | Listed |
| 1996 | Born Wild | 4 | Mickey Walls | Daniel J. Vella | Frank H. Stronach | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.97 | $102,325 | Listed |
| 1995 | Yukon Robbery | 6 | Ricky Faul | Hal Wiggins | Thomas C. Mueller | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.50 | $101,975 | Listed |
| 1994 | Yukon Robbery | 5 | Ricky Faul | Hal Wiggins | Thomas C. Mueller | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.27 | $98,225 | Listed |
| 1993 | Yukon Robbery | 4 | Ricky Faul | Hal Wiggins | Thomas C. Mueller | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.60 | $77,400 | |
| 1992 | Rainbows for Life (CAN) | 4 | Shane Romero | James Day | Sam-Son Farm | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.00 | $77,800 | |
| 1991 | First Tea | 4 | Kenneth Bourque | Paul H. Murphy | David J. Hulkewicz | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:53.30 | $77,500 | |
| 1990 | Tower Above 'Em | 6 | Shane Romero | Joseph Y. Soileau | James Cassels | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:55.80 | $75,575 | |
| 1989 | Ingot's Ruler | 7 | Ronald Ardoin | Tommie T. Morgan | Mildred Fike | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.20 | $75,000 | |
| 1988 | Top Guest (IRE) | 5 | Jean-Luc Samyn | Timothy A. Koons | Dogwood Stable | abt. 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:54.20 | $65,000 | |
Legend:
 Dirt  Turf