Accredited Louisiana Breds to Race for Nearly $6 Million in Stakes Purses in 2024

(New Orleans, LA) - In addition to benefitting from one of the most lucrative overnight purse structures and breeding incentive programs in the country, Accredited Louisiana breds will have a nearly $6 million stakes schedule to run at in 2024, the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association has announced.

“We are proud to offer a dynamic stakes program that provides a year-round schedule for Accredited Louisiana breds,” said Roger Heitzmann III, secretary-treasurer of the LTBA. “With a total of 67 stakes for $5.71 million, there are opportunities for horses of all ages, going long and short, and on turf and dirt. There are also several races with starter or non-winners of a stake conditions, so there is truly a chance for all types of runners to compete."

Of the 67 stakes races, 33 will offer a purse of $100,000 or more. While many states offer a special day of stakes races dedicated to state breds, Louisiana is the only one to present four state-bred stakes showcases with one at each of the state’s racetracks. Delta Downs Racetrack, Casino and Hotel has Louisiana Premier Night, Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino offers Louisiana Legeands Night, Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots presents Louisiana Champions Day, and Louisiana Downs provides Louisiana Cup Day.

“Our owners and trainers have found this to be a tremendous benefit, and we are thankful to have four tracks that do great job of supporting Louisiana breds,” added Heitzmann. “There is always a big stakes day coming up on the horizon, so it provides extra flexibility to run horses on a schedule that meets their individual needs.”

The Louisiana bred stakes program has proven to be a launching pad for horses like Free Like a Girl, a millionaire who has won an incredible 14 stakes in Louisiana while also competing successfully in graded stakes company around the country. Bred by Kim Renee Stover and Lisa Osborne, the daughter of Louisiana stallion El Deal is being aimed for a possible start in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in April. 

While the stakes and overnight purses make Accredited Louisiana breds more valuable to owners, there are also benefits for breeders and stallion owners. Breeders can earn up to 25% in breeders’ awards for horses finishing in the top three in races in Louisiana, and worldwide breeders’ awards are paid on races outside of the state. Stallion awards are paid on top three finishes in allowance, handicap, and stakes within the state, in addition to stakes races outside of Louisiana.

For more information about the 2024 Accredited Louisiana-bred stakes schedule, go to www.louisianabred.com or visit the individual racetrack’s websites for specific date information and conditions.

Two Scholarships to be Awarded at Premier Night at Delta Downs

(VINTON, La.) - Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino will host Premier Night Louisiana bred stakes racing on Saturday, February 3 with a post time of 5:05 p.m. CT. 

The richest program of the year will happen February. 3, Louisiana Premier Night. The card will feature the best Louisiana-breds competing in 10 stakes worth $895,000. The headliner on Louisiana Premier Night is the $150,000 Championship for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.

LA. BRED PREMIER GENTLEMEN STARTER $60,000 Guaranteed

For Four Year Olds & Upward 1 1/16 Miles 

LA. BRED PREMIER RAGIN CAJUN STARTER $50,000 Guaranteed 

For Four Year Olds & Upward 5 Furlongs 

LA. BRED PREMIER BON TEMPS STARTER $50,000 Guaranteed

For Fillies & Mares Four Year Olds & Upward 5 Furlongs 

LA. BRED PREMIER PRINCE $100,000 Guaranteed 

For Three Year Olds 1 Mile 

LA. BRED PREMIER DISTAFF $125,000 Guaranteed 

For Fillies & Mares Four Year Olds & Upward 1 Mile 

LA. BRED PREMIER STARLET $100,000 Guaranteed 

For Fillies Three Year Olds 1 Mile 

LA. BRED PREMIER CHAMPIONSHIP $150,000 Guaranteed 

For Four Year Olds & Upward 1 1/16 Miles 

LA. BRED PREMIER SPRINT $100,000 Guaranteed

For Four Year Olds & Upward 5 Furlongs 

LA. BRED PREMIER MATRON $100,000 Guaranteed

For Fillies & Mares Four Year Olds & Upward 5 Furlongs 

In addition, the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association (LTBA) will award two scholarships, each valued at $1,000, to college students for a total of $2,000.

"This is great evening of racing with some of the most exciting Louisiana bred racing of the year," said Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. "Premier Night sets the stage for a year of championship racing in Louisiana. It showcases the offspring of mares and stallions for our racing program at one of Louisiana's racetracks located in the southwest part of our state."

Requirements for the scholarship are as follows:

  • Must be a college student enrolled full-time in an Accredited College, University or Community College for Spring 2024 or Summer 2024

  • Scholarships will be awarded by random draw.

  • Must be in good standing with the college or university. 

  • Must be present to win at the Winner’s Circle when the announcement is made. 

  • Must have college ID and government-issued ID. 

  • Must have University ID number or Social Security number.

For Premier Night:

  • Registration: 4:05 p.m. – 5:05 p.m. at the designated booth 

  • Races begin: 5:05 p.m. 

  • Drawing Time: The scholarships will be awarded after the fifth race. The scholarship will be deposited directly into the student’s account at the college or university. The student is asked to know the name and address of the college that they are attending. 

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association manages the best incentive program for breeding thoroughbreds in the United States. Since the organization formed, this has led to increased purses, better quality horses, and increased interest in racing and breeding horses. The thoroughbred racing and breeding industry generates over $1 billion and employs over 60,000 people in the state of Louisiana.

For more information about Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association visit louisianabred.com or call (504) 947-4676.

Promote What is Uniquely Yours

After many months of preparation and collaboration, St. Martin Parish Tourism is excited to announce the launch of its new microsite!

    The Atchafalaya Basin microsite recognizes the beauty of St. Martin Parish, but it specifically highlights its flora, community history, and the Atchafalaya Basin.

     By launching this site, the St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission hopes to not only encourage more adventure-seeking tourists to visit St. Martin Parish but to educate its residents on the land’s history and instill its value. Embracing our history and the land where it is made, allows us to form a deeper appreciation for our culture, and equally important, it allows us to share it more effectively with others.

    In 2021, the St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission applied for the FY21 Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Small Funds Grant in hopes to fund a new project that would spotlight the Atchafalaya Basin within St. Martin Parish. The Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Atchafalaya Trace Commission awarded this grant to St. Martin Parish Tourism in May of 2021. With the help of Calzone and Associates, Inc, idea generator, Jude Theriot, microsite author, and ANHA executives, plans to begin this project were quickly underway. 

    Theriot is a native and current resident of St. Martin Parish. His love for the outdoors began at an early age; he grew up exploring the woods and waterways of his hometown, Catahoula, Louisiana, a small fishing and farming community at the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin. In 2021, after working 20 years as a neurologist across the country, he moved back home to start his own practice and document the natural beauty of his native parish. St. Martin Parish Executive Director of Tourism Laci Laperouse took notice of his work via Facebook. Because of his organic and impactful way of uncovering the secret, natural treasures of the parish, Laperouse commissioned him to write the microsite’s articles. Through his adventures hunting for new stories, Theriot’s love for the outdoors has grown even further:

 

       I’m St. Martin Parish through and through. I grew up as close to the

      Atchafalaya Basin as you can be without actually being in it. Yet there 

      were still so many places I’d never seen, or even known about, until I 

      started getting out there in my kayak. So that has been a big revelation 

      for me—a deeper appreciation for the place I call home. The more I’ve 

      seen of the parish, the more I feel like we live in a kind of paradise and 

      don’t know it. We underestimate it. The Atchafalaya Basin is our Amazon.

      And in terms of raw natural beauty, St. Martin Parish can easily hold its  

own against any exotic location around the world.

  The St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission invites you to view the new microsite which can be found at www.experienceatchafalaya.com. 

 

Louisiana Veterans Owned Businesses Boosted.

Louisiana Veterans First Business Initiative

The Louisiana Veterans First Business Initiative was championed by Governor John Bel Edwards during the 2019 legislative session. It was created to honor the sacrifice that Louisiana veterans have made by recognizing businesses owned by a veteran, active-duty or reserve military, or Gold Star spouse.

The program will allow for veterans, active-duty or reserve military, or Gold Star spouses who have a fifty-one percent ownership in a business to apply for and gain certification to recognize and promote their businesses. In addition, a searchable database is provided for anyone seeking to patronize a veteran, active-duty or reserve military, or Gold Star-spouse business.

Embracing Heritage is the Brand.

ST. MARTIN PARISH / ORIGINAL LOGO DESIGN COLLABORATION WITH VISIT ST. MARTIN PARISH, LOUISIANA

I have a vivid memory of being a little kid of no more than eight years old. I was standing on a wooden chair stirring my grandmother’s roux (which is actually quite dangerous), and listening to them speak French at the kitchen table (which could be equally as dangerous). I knew very little about what it meant to be Cajun, or the rich and fascinating heritage that came with it. For me, it was simply the food, language, music, and culture of my family. Looking back, I now see it as a deep and rich connection to my parents, grandparents, extended family, and to my ancestors.

I’m no historian, but I’ve read about the Seven Years' War and The Great Expulsion (1755 – 1764), as well as a bit of an apology from the Queen. More on this incredible slice of history here, here, and here. From ‘Cajuns’ by Shane K. Bernard:

Cajuns are the descendants of Acadian exiles from what are now the maritime provinces of Canada—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—who migrated to southern Louisiana. Today they reside primarily in a twenty-two-parish region of southern Louisiana known as Acadiana.

The Acadiana journey was brutal. Families were forever broken, lives were lost, and an entire group of people had to start over with next to nothing. But from that darkness came a new light. A people and a culture, reborn like a phoenix.

That incredible journey was the lone source of inspiration for this particular design, and in particular, the map sketch where I discovered the implied “M” shape that became the core of this design.

Enjoy!

— Kody Chamberlain, September 12, 2022