The Fair Grounds Oaks is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in March, usually on Louisiana Derby day at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event currently offers a purse of $400,000.

History The race was inaugurated on 19 February 1966 as the eighth event on the card where the featured event was the A. B. Letellier Memorial Handicap. The event was held on a sloppy track with Oklahoma bred Help On Way, ridden by Larry Gilligan defeating Dutch Maid with Gee Ma in third. Help On Way next start was unsuccessfully run against colts and geldings in the Arkansas Derby.

The following year in 1967 winner Furl Sail continued to win the Acorn Stakes and Mother Goose Stakes and was fourth in the Coaching Club American Oaks.

In 1977 the Fair Grounds administration made a scheduling change and ran the event a second time in December over a distance of miles. In 1978 the event was run in December again with split divisions.

The track administration then reverted to a March running with the shortened distance of miles but did not hold the event in 1979.

The event was first upgraded in 1982 to a Grade III race. The race was run as the Coca-Cola Fair Grounds Oaks in 1989 and 1990 with sponsorship from Coca-Cola.

In 2006 the race was cancelled due to massive damage inflicted upon Fair Grounds Race Course by Hurricane Katrina.

The race is considered a prep race to the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, including the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Mother Goose Stakes.

The race has produced numerous Kentucky Oaks winners, including Tiffany Lass, Blushing K. D., Silverbulletday, Ashado, Summerly, Proud Spell, Rachel Alexandra, Believe You Can and Good Cheer.

Records Speed record: miles – 1:42.20 Blushing K. D. (1997)

Margins: 12 lengths – Truly Bound (1981)

Most wins by a jockey: 3 – Donnie Meche (1997, 2000, 2003) 3 – Florent Geroux (2015, 2020, 2021)

Most wins by a trainer: 5 - Brad H. Cox (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026)

Most wins by an owner: 2 - Albert M. Stall (1968, 1997) 2 - Winchell Thoroughbreds (2005, 2014) 2 - Godolphin Racing (2024, 2025)

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefFair Grounds Oaks2026Life of JoyFlavien PratBrad H. CoxWill Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm & For the People Racing Stable miles1:42.27$392,000 II2025 Good CheerLuis SaezBrad H. CoxGodolphin Racing miles1:43.44$396,000II2024Tarifa Flavien PratBrad H. CoxGodolphin Racing miles1:43.24$388,000II2023Southlawn Reylu GutierrezNorm W. CasseRobert E. Masterson miles1:44.38$376,000II2022Echo ZuluJoel RosarioSteven M. AsmussenLand N Racing & Winchell Thoroughbreds miles1:42.69$388,000II2021Travel Column Florent GerouxBrad H. CoxOXO Equine miles1:42.75$400,000II2020Bonny SouthFlorent GerouxBrad H. CoxJuddmonte Farms miles1:43.57$388,000II2019 Street BandSophie DoyleJ. Larry JonesJ. Larry Jones, Cindy Jones & Ray Francis, miles1:44.54$392,000II2018Chocolate MartiniMitchell MurrillThomas M. AmossDouble Doors Racing miles1:44.44$293,000II2017FarrellChanning HillWayne M. CatalanoCoffeepot Stables miles1:44.09$388,000II2016Land Over SeaJohn R. VelazquezDoug F. O'NeillReddam Racing miles1:44.74$400,000II2015I'm a ChatterboxFlorent GerouxJ. Larry JonesCarolyn & Fletcher Gray miles1:44.40$396,000II2014 UntapableRosie NapravnikSteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:43.09$384,000II2013Unlimited BudgetJavier CastellanoTodd A. PletcherRepole Stable miles1:43.22$490,000II2012Believe You CanRosie NapravnikJ. Larry JonesBrereton C. Jones miles1:43.94$480,000II2011Daisy DevineJames GrahamAndrew McKeeverJames M. Miller miles1:44.25$500,000II2010Quiet TemperRobby AlbaradoDale L. RomansMark H. Stanley miles1:44.55$300,000II2009Rachel AlexandraCalvin H. BorelHal WigginsL & M Partners miles1:43.55$400,000II2008Proud SpellGabriel SaezJ. Larry JonesBrereton C. Jones miles1:44.01$376,000II2007Mistical PlanCorey NakataniDoug F. O'NeillJ. Paul Reddam miles1:44.02$396,000II2006Race not held2005SummerlyJerry D. BaileySteven M. AsmussenWinchell Thoroughbreds miles1:43.79$300,000II2004AshadoCornelio VelasquezTodd A. PletcherStarlight Racing miles1:43.07$300,000II2003Lady TakDonnie MecheHeiligbrodt Racing miles1:44.36$350,000II2002Take Charge LadyAnthony J. D'AmicoKenneth G. McPeekSelect Stable miles1:43.30$350,000II2001Real CozzyEddie Martin Jr.Daniel C. PeitzRobert E. & Lawana L. Low miles1:44.58$350,000II2000Shawnee CountryDonnie MecheD. Wayne LukasOverbrook Farm miles1:44.81$350,000III1999SilverbulletdayGary L. StevensBob BaffertMike Pegram miles1:44.99$372,900III1998Lu RaviWillie MartinezCarl BowmanYoshio Fujita miles1:43.70$300,000III1997Blushing K. D.Donnie MecheSam B. David Jr.James P. & Sue V. Burns miles1:42.20$175,000III1996Bright TimeLuis Felipe DiazBenjamin W. Perkins Sr.New Farm miles1:45.98$157,550III1995§ Brushing GloomJerilyn BrownRichard W. SmallRobert E. Meyerhoff miles1:45.12$150,000III1994Two AltazanoKirk LeBlancWilliam SticeHarold V. Goodman miles1:42.50$156,400III1993Silky FeatherElvis J. PerrodinTony J. RicheyStanton P. Powell miles1:44.60$106,800III1992Prospectors DelitePat DayNeil J. HowardWilliam S. Farish miles1:44.20$106,650III1991Rare PickPatrick A. JohnsonTerry L. MasonWilliam H. Turner miles1:46.50$109,400III1990Pampered StarShane RomeroRobert J. FrankelRitt Family Trust & Engelson miles1:44.60$99,200III1989MistaurianDouglas ValienteStephen A. DiMauroChaus Stable miles1:44.80$90,000III1988Quite a GemElvis J. PerrodinFrank L. BrothersJohn A. Franks miles1:46.40$90,000III1987Up the ApalacheeMario R. TorresGeorge ArceneauxJohn Minos Simon miles1:45.40$100,000III1986Tiffany LassRicky FrazierAngel BarreraAaron U. Jones miles1:45.00$166,400III1985Ronnie FranklinNoxie Romano Jr.Joseph Pizzatola miles1:44.80$182,400III1984My Darling OneChris McCarronLaz Barrera Dolly Green miles1:44.60$170,000III1983Bright CrocusSandy HawleyAdrian J. MaxwellW. Levan, B. Walters & L. Weston miles1:45.80$114,000III1982Before DawnJorge VelasquezJohn M. VeitchCalumet Farm miles1:45.40$113,000III1981Truly BoundBill ShoemakerBud DelpWindfields Farm miles1:44.80$108,400 1980Honest and TrueAlonzo GuajardoLarry Robideaux Jr.Jessica G. Bell miles1:44.40$56,375 1979Race not held1978La Doree (ARG)Bryan FannLouie J. Roussel IIIEarl Schieb miles1:52.40$38,487 Shadycroft LadyRuben Martinez Jr.Robert E. PratherMary L. Tobin1:52.60$37,387Table The RumorBill ShoemakerFrank L. BrothersAlbert M. Stall Sr. & Jack Van Berg miles1:52.40$90,300 1977 (Mar)Quid KitAngelo Jean TrosclairS. Allen King Jr.Adele W. Paxson miles1:45.60$34,525 1976Bronze PointHeriberto ArroyoHarry TrotsekHoward B. Noonan miles1:44.40$34,250 1975Lucky LeslieDonald BrumfieldDouglas A. DodsonValley Farm miles1:46.60$30,000 1974Bold RosiePhillip RubbiccoJere R. SmithW. Archie Lofton miles1:46.60$34,325 1973Knitted GlovesJulio C. EspinosaIsaac K. MourarRobert E. Lehmann miles1:46.00$23,825 1972My CharmerLarry MelanconLarry Robideaux Jr.Benjamin S. Castleman miles1:46.00$28,350 1971Rosemont BowKenneth KnappHarry TrotsekBrightview Farm miles1:43.40$17,675 1970Kay Emy Martinez HeathRalph Lentini Joseph Straus miles1:47.60$18,825 1969† Royal FilletLeroy MoyersW. Clayton PrickettW. Clayton Prickett miles1:46.80$16,600 1968TrapezeJimmy NicholsAlbert M. Stall Sr.John C. Oxley miles1:46.20$18,075 1967Furl SailJoe L. LopezJohn L. WinansMrs. Edwin K. Thomas miles1:45.20$17,300 1966Help On WayLarry Gilligan Ronnie G. WarrenEverett Lowrance miles1:52.60$10,000

Notes:

§ Ran as an entry

† In the 1969 running of the event Around The Horn was first past the post but was disqualified and place second for interference in the straight and Royal Fillet was declared the winner.

See also Road to the Kentucky Oaks List of American and Canadian Graded races

References