A great day of championship racing is set at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, September 19, featuring Louisiana Cup Day.
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. Louisiana Downs will award two additional $1,000 scholarships to bring the total to four $1,000 scholarships.
"This is another great day of Louisiana bred racing," said Roger Heitzmann, secretary/treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. "It's important to note that Louisiana Cup Day is just one of four state-bred race days held at different Louisiana tracks, showcasing the quality of Louisiana's thoroughbred breeding industry."
This special day includes a series of races, each with a guaranteed purse of $75,000. Some of the highlights include:
Louisiana Cup Distaff: For fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, going 8.5 furlongs on the turf.
Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare Sprint: For fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, going 6 furlongs.
Louisiana Cup Juvenile: For 2-year-old colts and geldings, going 5.5 furlongs.
Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies: For 2-year-old fillies, going 5.5 furlongs.
Louisiana Cup Sprint: For 3-year-olds and up, going 6 furlongs.
Louisiana Cup Turf Classic: For 3-year-olds and up, going 8.5 furlongs on the turf.
Requirements for the scholarship are as follows:
Must be a college student enrolled full-time in an Accredited College, University or Community College for Fall 2026
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 and Social Security number.
For Louisiana Cup Day:
Registration: 2:35 p.m. -- 3:35 p.m. at the designated booth
Races begin: 3:35 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.
In addition to the races, Louisiana Cup Day features festivities and family-friendly activities like live music, bounce houses, water slides, face painting, and food trucks. Reservations for the Clubhouse Buffet are available by emailing reservations@ladowns.com.
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.
