Louisiana Downs kicks off 50 years of racing May 4

May 02, 2024

Louisiana Downs, the premier horse racing destination in the region since 1974, kicks off its 50th anniversary live racing season on Saturday, May 4, 2024, coinciding with the excitement of the Kentucky Derby. The first post-opening day is 1:45 pm. You can view the full live thoroughbred racing schedule by clicking here.

Fans can get a jump on the excitement by finding Louisiana Downs’ Horse Racing Ambassador, Roxy, to win a mystery wager of up to $500. They just need to the daily clues on social media starting April 29 to catch Roxy in the community and receive a wallet with a mystery wager inside. In addition, the first 100 Club 74 members to swipe their players’ card on Opening Day will each receive a wallet and mystery voucher.

Also, as part of the milestone opening day, Louisiana Downs will be giving all Club 74 members a $5 Free Bet. Members must swipe their loyalty cards at the racing promotional kiosks between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to redeem their bet.

Louisiana Downs - Shreveport Bossier Louisiana

The track will be offering official Kentucky Derby merchandise alongside the track’s signature swag. Families are encouraged to join in the excitement with a day of fun for all ages. There will be the free Kids Zone on the trackside apron with bounce houses and local Food Trucks featuring some of Shreveport-Bossier’s favorite restaurants.

“We are thrilled to welcome racing fans and horsemen back to Louisiana Downs for the opening of our Thoroughbred race season which coincides again this year with the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby,” Louisiana Downs President Kevin Preston said. “We all know the history of horseracing at this track and I’m excited we are able to keep this tradition alive during our 50th anniversary. We have so many cool things planned for this season and we hope the community gets a chance to enjoy the races again with us. Since taking over the track in November 2021, we have made and continue to make significant changes and have enhanced many of the areas including adding over 200 new slot machines to the casino floor, opening up two new restaurant concepts with two more in the development stages, added our sportsbook and freshened up all aspects of the race track. We brought back Super Derby in 2023 which was a personal goal of our team and we cannot wait to share our golden anniversary with all our fans.”

The Louisiana Downs season continues through September 26 with racing conducted on a mostly Monday – Wednesday basis with select Saturdays. The $250,000 Super Derby on September 14 highlights this year’s meet. The track’s premiere race has received a $50,000 increase over 2023.

Seating is free on levels 1 and 2 of the Grandstand. Guests can also reserve boxes via the Louisiana Downs’ website, (ladowns.com) or make dining reservations in the Clubhouse buffet or Skyroom buffet by emailing [email protected].