Delta Downs Set To Kick Off 2020 American Quarter Horse Season Wednesday

Delta Downs' meeting begins with plenty of exciting trials for upcoming stakes.

� Coady Photography

First post time on Friday will be at 3:50 pm and Saturday�s action will kick off at 2:35 pm. (CDT).

The season was originally scheduled to begin on April 17, but that opening was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delta Downs will allow live spectators for its racing dates this season beginning on opening night. Fans will be allowed in the OTB starting one hour before live racing begins each day this week.

This week�s action includes six trials on Wednesday night to qualify 10 finalists for this year�s $98,150 Old South Derby (final on July 3); 10 trials on Thursday for the $151,255 Old South Futurity (final on July 4); 15 trials Friday night for the $329,410 Louisiana Lassie Futurity (RG2) (final on July 3) and 18 trials on Saturday night for the $357,981 Louisiana Laddie Futurity (RG2) (July 4) (see related stories).

For the first six weeks of the new season live racing will be conducted Wednesdays through Saturdays. Starting July 23, the track will conduct three-day race weeks every Thursday-Saturday until the end of the meet, August 22.

The only exception being the week of August 6-8 when the track will be dark to accommodate this year�s Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders� Association Yearling Sale in Kinder, Louisiana.

Regular post times are at 5:15 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 6:15 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

The richest open-bred stakes races of the season will be run on Saturday, August 15 when the $100,000-added Firecracker Derby for 3-year-olds and the $100,000-added Firecracker Futurity (Gr. 2) for 2-year-olds take center stage. Qualifying trials for the Firecracker races will be held on July 24 and 25.

The racing season will wrap up at Delta Downs on Saturday, August 22 with another edition of Louisiana Showcase Night, which features eight stakes races for Louisiana-bred horses and the richest race of the season, the $1 million-estimated Lee Berwick Futurity (RG1).

Some of the nation�s top horsemen will be back at Delta Downs this season. Kenneth Roberts, Sr., who was honored with his first AQHA World Champion trainer award in 2017, will attempt to win his 10th leading trainer title at Delta Downs this season. Jockey Everardo Rodriguez will vie for his second leading jockey title after taking last year�s crown for the first time.

For more information about the new season visit the track's website at deltadownsracing.com.

Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, a property of Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:BYD), features exciting casino action, live horse racing and fun dining experiences. Delta Downs is located in Vinton, Louisiana, on Delta Downs Drive. From Lake Charles, take Exit 7 and from Texas, take Exit 4.