Risen Star Stakes

The Risen Star Stakes is run annually at Fair Grounds Race Course. It is open to three year old horses and is raced over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $300,000. The race is considered a prep to the Louisiana Derby (GII,) and an official prep race for the Kentucky Derby (GI.)

Previously known as the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes, in 1989 it was renamed to honor locally-owned Risen Star who won the race in 1988 and went on to win the Preakness (GI) and Belmont Stakes (GI) and be voted the 1988 Three-Year-Old Champion.

Notably, in 1975 Golden Chance Farm's colt Master Derby won this race then went on to win the Louisiana Derby and the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes (GI.)

The Risen Star Stakes was run in two divisions in 1993 and again in 1995.