2025-26 Fair Grounds meet

The 2025-26 meet at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots concluded with repeat leaders--trainer Joe Sharp and jockey Jose Ortiz--heading the 154th racing season at the New Orleans oval. Trainer Joe Sharp and jockey Jose Ortiz each secured back-to-back titles. Sharp led all conditioners with 47 wins from 211 starts, earning more than $1.7 million in purses while posting a 22% strike rate. He finished ahead of Bret Calhoun, who tallied 31 victories, while Sam David Jr. added 19 wins and veteran Tom Amoss closed out his Fair Grounds career...

A dispute that had threatened the upcoming meet at the Fair Grounds has been resolved, which means the meet will be held as scheduled, from Nov. 22 to Mar. 23. Churchill Downs Inc., which owns the Fair Grounds, was threatening to close the track after the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled in March that the statute that legalized Historical Horse Racing Machines at the OTBs run by Fair Grounds was not legal and that the machines could not continue to operate without voter approval. CDI officials previously said that shutting down...