Thoroughbred horse racing returns to New Orleans Thursday, when Fair Grounds Race Course opens its 154th race meeting at this historic Gentilly oval.

The 2025-2026 race meeting that seemed imperiled only months ago will kick off with a nine-race card, starting with a first post at 12:45 p.m.

The meet was cast in doubt this summer when the track’s owner, Churchill Downs, Inc., threatened to pull out of Louisiana over court rulings that bar it from using a certain type of slot machine, saying that without those games it would be unable to turn a profit and run a successful racing season. Track executives and state officials eventually reached a compromise after weeks of intense negotiations and political intervention.

The 2025-2026 meet will feature 70 racing days and 56 stakes wort

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