DELTA DOWNS KICKS OFF 2024-25 THOROUGHBRED SEASON THURSDAY NIGHT

NEW POST TIME AND WINNER’S CIRCLE DEBUT ON OPENING NIGHT

VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel will kick off its 2024-25 Thoroughbred season on Thursday night, October 10. The track will begin live racing at 4:50 pm Central Time throughout the season, which runs through February 22. The new post time is the earliest for a Thoroughbred season since Boyd Gaming purchased the property in 2001 and should allow more exposure for simulcast fans across the country.

After the three-day opening week of racing, Thursday through Saturday, the track will go to a Wednesday through Saturday format for much of the season. Exceptions include the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

In addition to a new post time this year, Delta Downs will also debut several improvements to its racing facility. During the off season a new winner’s circle was constructed near the entrance to the paddock. The paddock itself was also upgraded with new flooring and a partial brick wall between the viewing area and the saddling enclosure.

During the season, Delta Downs will offer a stakes schedule that features 23 races and a total of $1.85 million in purse money. The track will also roll out exciting bi-monthly promotions in the OTB for fans to participate in throughout the 20-week season.

The stakes activity begins on Friday night with a quartet of Louisiana-bred contests, each carrying a purse of $100,000. Fans will be treated to the Gold Cup and Magnolia, each run at one mile with the Magnolia restricted to fillies and mares, as well as the Louisiana Legacy and Louisiana Jewel for 2-year-olds. The Jewel will feature fillies only.

The richest program of the year will happen on Saturday, February 1 when the track hosts another edition of Louisiana Premier Night. The exciting card features the best Louisiana-breds competing in 10 stakes races worth total purse money of $895,000. The headliner on Louisiana Premier Night is the $150,000 Championship for 4-year-olds and up competing at 1-1/16 miles.

The battle for leading jockey should be very contentious this season as two-time defending champion Vicente Del Cid has recently hung up his tack, leaving the door open for riders like Tim Thornton, who boasts four past leading rider titles at Delta Downs; Elio Barrera, who took the title at Evangeline Downs this summer; and Joel Dominguez, who won the most races at the recently completed Louisiana Downs meet.

Race fans will have several opportunities to save money during the meet. On Wednesdays, patrons in the OTB can score a free program; on Thursday nights fans will be treated to a free hot dog during Hot Dog Happy Hour; and on Friday nights fans can score a free domestic beer at the OTB bar. Each promotion requires the participant to be 21 years of age or older and a Boyd Rewards Card member.

Patrons on hand this Friday, October 11, will be treated to free popcorn and a chance to win $250 in cash with the Welcome Back Drawings. The drawings will take place between 7-8 pm and entrants need to swipe their Boyd Rewards card at any promotions kiosk to print out their Welcome Back Drawing entry ticket. The ticket must be dropped into the drawing drum located in the OTB’s Winner’s Circle area.

For more information about racing at Delta Downs this season, including a detailed schedule and stakes dates, visit the track’s website atwww.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also get information throughout the season with our social media accounts. The Facebook page is found at ‘Delta Downs Racing’, and the track’s X handle is @deltaracing.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation, is the premier racing and gaming entertainment venue in Vinton, LA. Named “America’s Best Horse Racing Track” by readers of USA TODAY 10Best, Delta Downs features a six-furlong oval track, 15,000 square feet of casino space and more than 1,500 of the most popular slot machines. Amenities include two restaurants, chart-topping entertainment at the Delta Event Center and the FanDuel Sportsbook.