McCarthy, D'Amato to Have Divisions at Fair Grounds

A mix of returning stables and high-profile newcomers will headline the Fair Grounds backside when the track opens its 155th racing season Nov. 19. The 2026-27 colony includes established Fair Grounds participants Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Cherie DeVaux, Joe Sharp, Brendan Walsh and Kenny McPeek, along with newcomers Michael McCarthy, Philip D'Amato and Rudy Rodriguez. DeVaux is set to return to New Orleans with a full barn following a remarkable year in which Golden Tempo used his Fair Grounds foundation to win the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May before later capturing the Belmont Stakes. The Derby triumph made DeVaux the first female trainer to win the race and further strengthened Fair Grounds' reputation as one of the nation's leading proving grounds on the road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. The returning roster also includes Dallas Stewart, Shane Wilson, Bret Calhoun, Mike Stidham, Al Stall Jr., Sam David Jr., Joe Duhon and Greg Foley, giving the meet a broad mix of established national operations and longtime Fair Grounds participants. Sharp returns seeking his third consecutive Fair Grounds training title, while Cox arrives as the nation's current leading trainer by earnings. The returning depth will be complemented by one of the most intriguing groups of new barns to arrive at Fair Grounds in recent years. Among the most notable additions are McCarthy and D'Amato from California. McCarthy has an established record at the sport's highest levels, while Southern California-based D'Amato is one of the perennial leading trainers on the West Coast. The New York circuit will be represented among the newcomers by Rudy Rodriguez and George Weaver, along with Ray Handal, who will return after a successful 2024 meet. Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame trainer Neil Howard will return to the training ranks this winter with a 16-horse string for CamHaven Farms. Howard, 77, retired in 2021 after a career that included champion Mineshaft and major stakes winners Summer Squall and Secret Status, along with more than 1,200 victories. Several returning Louisiana circuit stables also are expanding their Fair Grounds presence, including Joey Foster, Joe Duhon, David Terre and Chadwick Mouton. With returning horsemen, expanded local operations and several new stables joining the colony, Fair Grounds is set for another competitive winter season as the 155th meet gets underway in New Orleans.