On Saturday January 20th, Fair Grounds Race Course will host the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. The Lecomte Stakes is a Road to the Kentucky Derby race, where the winner will get 20 points, 2nd place gets 10, 3rd gets 6, 4th gets 4 and 5th gets 2 point towards winning entry into the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
The rise of Lecomte’s namesake race has been slow but steady. First run in 1943, the race was open to older horses until 1962, when it became an age-restricted test for 3-year-olds. Early winners tended to be local stars more than national standouts, and the Lecomte didn’t receive graded stakes status until 2003. During the 2010s, the Lecomte produced 13 Kentucky Derby starters, averaging better than one per year. In 2020, Fair Grounds lengthened the race from 1 mile and 70 yards to 1 1⁄16 miles. With its growing prestige and prominent placement on the Road to the Kentucky Derby you can bet the Lecomte will maintain its steady ascent for the foreseeable future.
2024 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course – Saturday, January 20th, 2024. Race and time to be determined as it gets closer to raceday!
