By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Sports
Want to sit in a box seat Saturday — which includes a television — and enjoy Opening Day at Louisiana Downs?
Your racing luck is not very good.
“We’re sold out!” track owner Kevin Preston said Thursday, beaming with pride. “It’s the first time in a long time this place has been sold out. I think having the customers see some of the (renovations) we’ve done, and hear what we’re doing — that’s really exciting for me. The racing is going to be pretty special this weekend.”
To clarify, a few box seats without TV’s are still available. And only a handful of seats in the Skyroom—which includes an all-day buffet — remain. However, there will be plenty of free, general admission grandstand seating.
“People are starting to realize Louisiana Downs is here again,” said Mitch Dennison, the General Manager of Racing. “Brand new. Renovated. We really want to get the customer back.”
The biggest race at Louisiana Downs Saturday will be run 735 miles away. The 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs (post time 5:57 p.m. Central) — which you can watch and bet — will be shown throughout the Bossier City track. The Derby will be complemented by a seven-race card of live racing (post time 3:05 pm).
“We’re going to start off light and work our way up,” said Roxanne Tanner, Horse Racing Ambassador at the Downs. “We’re still waiting for some horses to come back from Arkansas (Oaklawn Park). We’ve got a number of horsemen in Texas that are waiting to see how things go opening weekend and send some (horses) over as well.”
There aren’t any “big name” horses running this weekend at the Downs. But, if you like home-grown talent, two-thirds of the horses on the backside are Louisiana-bred.
“There are some good horses that are bred here in Louisiana, that have gone on to be graded stakes horses,” Dennison said. “I don’t think there’s really any difference between a Kentucky-bred and a Louisiana-bred…The Louisiana-bred program has had a lot of success here in the state, and (horses) go to other racetracks and do well there.”
Several trainers and jockeys from last year are returning to the Downs. That includes Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest thoroughbred trainer in North America. Carlos Lazada, who won 84 races in 2021, will defend his jockey title. To do so, Lazada will have to hold off the likes of Emanuel Nieves, Joel Dominguez, and veteran Calvin Borel.
“Calvin is getting up there in age (55 years old), but this is home for him,” said Tanner of the three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey. “This is where he started. This is where he planted his roots. Why not come back? The money is going to get better here. The racing is going to get even better.”
And so are your food options. In the next two weeks, Preston expects to announce the addition of two new restaurants. Preston. who bought Louisiana Downs Casino and Racetrack last November, has more time to focus on the Highway 80 facility after recently selling Magnolia Bluffs Casino, his only other property, in Natchez, Mississippi.
“Quite honestly, 12 years in Natchez was fantastic,” Preston said. “But this property is truly exciting for me. Giving it 100 percent of my time is going to be important. I think having that extra time is going to catapult us up to that next level. It was a tough decision, but one that I think is going to be fruitful for here.”
Louisiana Downs’ 84-day thoroughbred meet runs through Sept. 27. Race days are Saturday through Tuesday. Post time each day is 3:05 p.m.
Photo by TONY TAGLAVORE
