HRTV'S "INSIDE INFORMATION" PROFILES FAIR GROUNDS' REMARKABLE HISTORY IN A SPECIAL EDITION TITLED, "NOWHERE TO RUN," THIS SUNDAY, SEPT. 6 (10 P.M. ET / 7 P.M. PT)
New Orleans, LA, Sept. 3 -- Thoroughbred racing has a proud, rich history, and Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans is a venue that exemplifies both an outstanding history, as well as an uncommon resilience and determination.
On the next edition of HorseRacing TV's (TM) (HRTV) "Inside Information," the newsmagazine show will take a special look at the cherished racing facility, titled "Nowhere to Run," which will air on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Fair Grounds has been a staple of New Orleans' colorful culture for more than 150 years. During that expansive time frame, it has experienced a wide-ranging list of triumphs, and its share of trying times. It has survived the Civil War, multiple fires, and even the outlawing of racing in Louisiana. It has also been called home by some of racing's biggest equine stars, and served as the proving ground for many of the sport's top jockeys, most notably Hall of Famers, Eddie Delahoussaye and Kent Desormeaux.
But, the venerable facility faced its biggest threat when the cataclysmic Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005. Katrina left an incredible swath of destruction in New Orleans, and Fair Grounds was unable to escape its vicious wrath, absorbing severe damage in the process.
"The frontside of the Fair Grounds became an island," recalled Lenny Vangilder, the track's publicity director. "Everywhere around here was flooded...there was no way to get out."
Almost immediately, rescue efforts, headed by LSU's Veterinary School and Fair Grounds veterinarians, began a determined, painstaking search for horses, and other animals left behind by the storm. The track has always exhibited an uncanny resilience, but recovery from Katrina was extremely daunting for the whole city, including the Fair Grounds.
Extensive repair shuttered the track for a year. However, with amazing resolve from the track's new owners, Churchill Downs, Inc., and a committed staff and city, the Fair Grounds rose again, and reopened its doors on Thanksgiving Day, 2006. It remains the home for one of Thoroughbred racing's most important winter meetings.
"Fair Grounds is a part of New Orleans culture," said Robert Evans, president and chief executive officer, of Churchill Downs, Inc. "It's part of the history and tradition of New Orleans. And the people of this city recognize that."
(Previously-aired, archived episodes of "Inside Information" are also available via www.youtube.com.)
