The Fair Grounds Oaks is a race for Thoroughbred horses run in April at Fair Grounds Race Course each year. The Oaks is open to fillies, age three, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, and offers a purse of $400,000. The race is a Grade II event with a purse of $500,000 and has been 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 was inaugurated in 1966. It was first graded in 1982 as was run as a grade three race from 1982-2000. In the year 2000 the race was upgraded to a grade two race. The race was not held in 1979 and in 2006 the race was cancelled due to massive damage inflicted upon Fair Grounds Race Course by Hurricane Katrina. The race was run as the Coca-Cola Fair Ground Oaks in 1989 and 1990. In 1977 the race was run twice, in both March and December.
The race has produced numerous Kentucky Oaks winners, including Tiffany Lass, Blushing K.D., Silverbulletday, Ashado, Summerly, Proud Spell and Rachel Alexandra.
Read more about Fair Grounds Oaks: Records, Winners of The Fair Grounds Oaks Since 1993, Previous Winners
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—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)