Louisiana Stakes

The Louisiana Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years and older over a distance $1 1/16$ miles on the dirt track held annually during the third week of January at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana.

History
Inaugurated on December 12, 1942, the first running of the Louisiana Handicap was won by Calumet Farm's 1941 U.S. Triple Crown winner Whirlaway. It would be the last race of Whirlaway's brilliant career and he was voted his second straight American Horse of the Year title.

Since inception, the Louisiana Handicap has been run at two different distances:
 * $1 1/16$ miles : 1947, 1952–present
 * $1 1/16$ miles : 1942–1943, 1945–1946, 1949–1951

The event was not held in 1944, 1948, 2005 and 2006.

The event was renamed to the Louisiana Stakes in 2016.

In 2020 the event was upgraded to Grade III.

Records
Speed record: (at current distance of $1 1/8$ miles)
 * 1:42.40 - Soy Numero Uno (1977)

Most wins:
 * 3 - Tenacious (1958, 1959, 1960)

Earlier winners

 * 1955 - Epic King
 * 1954 - Roedna
 * 1953 - Spur On
 * 1952 - Light Broom
 * 1951 - Thelma Berger
 * 1950 - Roseborough
 * 1949 - Grand Entry
 * 1947 - Dockstader
 * 1946 - Flareback
 * 1945 - South Dakota
 * 1943 - First Fiddle
 * 1942 - Whirlaway