Evangeline Downs Horseracing
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Evangeline Downs is a 133.7 acre horseracing property in Carencro, Louisiana with a seven-eighths mile oval horse track.
Evangeline Downs features thoroughbred and quarter horseracing in a season that typically spans from April to October.
In 2005, the racing facilities will transfer to a site in nearby Opelousas, joining the casino that has been operating since late 2003.
Evangeline Downs is one of Louisiana's pioneer horseracing tracks.
It has been the site of many prestigious stakes and racing events in the past.
Among these are:
- the D.S. "Shine" Young Futurity
- the John Franks Memorial Sales
- the Lafayette Stakes
- the Evangeline Mile
Evangeline Downs Records - Dirt Track
| Distance | Horse | Age | Weight | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ½ Furlongs | River Bobcat | 6 | 117 lbs | 26.59 | Aug 29, 2019 |
| 4 Furlongs | Stormin Encore | 2 | 115 lbs | 45.87 | May 29, 2013 |
| 4 ½ Furlongs | Desert Ransom | 2 | 118 lbs | 51.17 | May 16, 2012 |
| 5 Furlongs | Dolly Bonz | 6 | 116 lbs | 56.26 | Apr 27, 2013 |
| 5 ½ Furlongs | Foreign Production | 4 | 120 lbs | 1:02.58 | Jul 03, 2010 |
| 6 Furlongs | Mico Margarita | 4 | 116 lbs | 1:08.37 | Apr 12, 2014 |
| 6 ½ Furlongs | Tiger Bait | 5 | 120 lbs | 1:15.77 | Aug 28, 2008 |
| 7 Furlongs | School Spirit | 5 | 120 lbs | 1:22.02 | May 22, 2014 |
| 1 Mile | Sunbean | 3 | 124 lbs | 1:35.75 | Jul 06, 2013 |
| 1 Mile 70 Yards | Go Tiger Jack | 6 | 119 lbs | 1:40.11 | Jun 12, 2013 |
| 1 1/16 Miles | Friend of Indy | 5 | 120 lbs | 1:43.26 | Apr 20, 2013 |
Evangeline Downs Records - Turf Track
| Distance | Horse | Age | Weight | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Furlongs | Time Well Spent | 3 | 118 lbs | 55.00 | Jun 20, 2009 |
| About 5 Furlongs | Tey's Big Boy | 5 | 120 lbs | 55.11 | Jul 27, 2012 |
| 7 ½ Furlongs | Sprightly Star | 6 | 117 lbs | 1:27.80 | Aug 15, 2009 |
| About 7 ½ Furlongs | I'm in Harlan | 3 | 115 lbs | 1:28.42 | Aug 01, 2013 |
| 1 Mile | State Power | 6 | 119 lbs | 1:34.19 | Jun 06, 2009 |
| About 1 Mile | Skipping Town | 5 | 118 lbs | 1:34.39 | Jul 23, 2011 |
| 1 1/16 Miles | Nowandforevermore | 6 | 119 lbs | 1:40.74 | May 01, 2009 |
| About 1 1/16 Miles | Deputiformer | 5 | 118 lbs | 1:40.33 | Apr 17, 2010 |
| 1 ½ Miles | King Caden | 4 | 119 lbs | 2:34.30 | Sep 07, 2009 |
| About 1 ½ Miles | Stone Skipper | 6 | 123 lbs | 2:31.37 | Sep 08, 2012 |
History of Evangeline Downs
- An estimated 10,000 people turned out for the opening night of Evangeline Downs on April 28, 1966. Blue Vee, ridden by Donald Comeaux, won the first race - a five-furlong claiming race for 4-year-olds and up. Louisiana Governor John McKeithen cut the ribbon to officially open the $2 million facility.
- By Labor Day of that year and the end of the first racing season, 277,556 fans had visited Evangeline Downs, and pushed $12 million across the betting boards for the season.
- Many of the world's finest jockeys started off in Cajun Country. A number of them have raced at Evangeline Downs. These include Randy Romero, Eddie Delahoussaye, Ray Sibille, Robbie Albarado, and multiple Eclipse Award winner Kent Desormeaux.
- On the equine side, the famous John Henry won his very first stakes victory at Evangeline Downs. He captured the Lafayette Futurity on September 5, 1977. The winner of the inaugural $3 million Breeders Cup Classic, Wild Again, raced at Evangeline Downs in the early stages of his career.
- In November 1988, Evangeline Downs became the sole recipient of the first inter-track wagering signal in Louisiana, simulcasting races from the New Orleans Fair Grounds.
- In 1996, the voters of Lafayette Parish, where the town of Carencro is located, chose to outlaw video poker and casino gambling. Since Evangeline Downs had plans to offer these services in the racetrack, the 1996 vote became the catalyst for the eventual transfer of the track to nearby Opelousas, in Saint Landry Parish county.
- On June 3, 2000, Hallowed Dreams set a new American record for consecutive victories by a thoroughbred filly. By winning the Tellike Stakes, she gained her 14th consecutive victory, in 14 starts.
- In February 2003, Evangeline Downs officials broke ground on the new $96 million Evangeline DownsCasino and Racetrack in Opelousas. Track officials plan to complete construction and relocate in two years.
- In December 2003, the new Evangeline Downscasino opened in Opelousas.
- In the spring of 2005, live horse racing officially commenced at the new Opelousas location, finalizing the track's complete transition. Equipped with a state-of-the-art one-mile dirt oval and a sweeping seven-eighths-mile turf track, the facility made history as the first "racino" in the United States built entirely from the ground up.
- In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA) ranked Evangeline Downs #6 overall out of 65 premier thoroughbred racetracks in North America, highlighting its highly favorable wagering pools for bettors.
- In November 2012, Boyd Gaming expanded its portfolio by acquiring Peninsula Gaming in a $1.45 billion deal, assuming full ownership and operational control of the racetrack and casino.
- In December 2020, the original Carencro site entered a new era of economic development when e-commerce giant Amazon broke ground on the former racetrack property to build its first fulfillment center in the state of Louisiana.