The Fair Grounds Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred turf race for four-year-olds and older, contested over about 1 1/8 miles on the turf at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event is part of Fair Grounds’ mid-February stakes program and regularly attracts seasoned turf runners early in the road toward spring turf campaigns.
The 2026 Fair Grounds Stakes is scheduled for February 14 as part of the Louisiana Derby Preview Day stakes lineup at Fair Grounds Race Course.
In the 2025 running of the Fair Grounds Stakes, Taking Candy scored the victory over the 1 1/8-mile turf course with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Past winners of the event include Synchrony, Chocolate Ride, and Mystery Giver. These older turf horses often return to compete in top-level grass competition throughout the year, making this race a key early graded turf test for bettors and handicappers.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Lagynos | Jose L. Ortiz | Steven M. Asmussen | 1:48.20 |
| 2025 | Taking Candy | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Cherie DeVaux | 1:50.44 |
| 2024 | Beatbox | Joel Rosario | Cherie DeVaux | 1:49.96 |
| 2023 | Two Emmys | James Graham | Hugh H. Robertson | 1:54.73 |
| 2022 | Cavalry Charge | Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. | Dallas Stewart | 1:53.60 |
| 2021 | Captivating Moon | Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. | Chris M. Block | 1:50.27 |
| 2020 | Factor This | Shaun Bridgmohan | Brad H. Cox | 1:47.29 |
