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Lecomte Stakes
The Lecomte Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenths miles on the dirt run annually in mid-January, at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event currently offers a purse of $250,000.
The event was inaugurated 20 February 1943 as the LeCompte Handicap with handicap conditions for four-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles. The race was won by Emerson Francis Woodward's Valdina Farms standout Valdina Orphan who started a short priced 2/5 odds-on favorite winning easily by two lengths in a time of 1:51 flat. Three months later Emerson Francis Woodward and his wife Bessie were killed in an accident with a train at a graded crossing in his home state of Texas.
The event was named after the town of Lecompte, Louisiana, which was named but incorrectly spelt after a famous 19th century race horse owned by the Wells family who lived on a plantation south of the town. The horse's name was Lecomte, who is known as the only horse to defeat Lexington. Lecomte's dam was the brilliant Reel.
The event was programmed as a preparatory race for the Fair Grounds signature event for older horses, the New Orleans Handicap which in the era was scheduled one or two weeks after this race with the place getters receiving automatic entry.
In 1945 the event was not held due to World War II. In 1948 the eight-year-old Jack S. L. became the first two time winner of the event. In 1949 the result of the event was a dead heat between My Request and Caillou Rouge. My Request won and would go on and win the New Orleans Handicap. In 1951 Joe W. Brown's four-year-old filly won the event Thelma Berger as part of his two horse entry in event with Riverlane and to date remains the only filly or mare to have won the event. The 1953 winner Smoke Screen also won the New Orleans Handicap.
In 1955 the event was run as the LeComte Handicap with reference to the correct name of the famous horse.
In 1961 one of Fair Grounds' favorite horses Mrs. Joe W. Brown's Tenacious won the event for the third straight time. In 1958 Tenacious finished third as the 11/10 favorite to the two time winner Speed Rouser, but would go on and win the New Orleans Handicap. In 1959 Tenacious set a new track record of 1:43 flat for the 1+1⁄16 miles distance. The 1961 running of the event would be the last time the race was scheduled as an event for older horses.
In 1962 the conditions of the event were changed that only three-year-olds could enter. The event immediately became a preparatory race for the Louisiana Derby which was held later in the meeting in March. The 1963 winner City Line won the event defeating Lemon Twist by five lengths and setting a new stakes record of 1:422⁄5. City Line would go on and repeat his win in his next start defeating Lemon Twist again by eight lengths in the Louisiana Derby. Mrs. Dorothy Dorsett Brown's two horse entry of Dapper Delegate and Doc Wesley won the event in 1965 starting at the short odds of 1/2. Dapper Delegate would also go on and in a fortnight capture the Louisiana Derby.
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Lecomte Stakes
The Lecomte Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenths miles on the dirt run annually in mid-January, at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event currently offers a purse of $250,000.
The event was inaugurated 20 February 1943 as the LeCompte Handicap with handicap conditions for four-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles. The race was won by Emerson Francis Woodward's Valdina Farms standout Valdina Orphan who started a short priced 2/5 odds-on favorite winning easily by two lengths in a time of 1:51 flat. Three months later Emerson Francis Woodward and his wife Bessie were killed in an accident with a train at a graded crossing in his home state of Texas.
The event was named after the town of Lecompte, Louisiana, which was named but incorrectly spelt after a famous 19th century race horse owned by the Wells family who lived on a plantation south of the town. The horse's name was Lecomte, who is known as the only horse to defeat Lexington. Lecomte's dam was the brilliant Reel.
The event was programmed as a preparatory race for the Fair Grounds signature event for older horses, the New Orleans Handicap which in the era was scheduled one or two weeks after this race with the place getters receiving automatic entry.
In 1945 the event was not held due to World War II. In 1948 the eight-year-old Jack S. L. became the first two time winner of the event. In 1949 the result of the event was a dead heat between My Request and Caillou Rouge. My Request won and would go on and win the New Orleans Handicap. In 1951 Joe W. Brown's four-year-old filly won the event Thelma Berger as part of his two horse entry in event with Riverlane and to date remains the only filly or mare to have won the event. The 1953 winner Smoke Screen also won the New Orleans Handicap.
In 1955 the event was run as the LeComte Handicap with reference to the correct name of the famous horse.
In 1961 one of Fair Grounds' favorite horses Mrs. Joe W. Brown's Tenacious won the event for the third straight time. In 1958 Tenacious finished third as the 11/10 favorite to the two time winner Speed Rouser, but would go on and win the New Orleans Handicap. In 1959 Tenacious set a new track record of 1:43 flat for the 1+1⁄16 miles distance. The 1961 running of the event would be the last time the race was scheduled as an event for older horses.
In 1962 the conditions of the event were changed that only three-year-olds could enter. The event immediately became a preparatory race for the Louisiana Derby which was held later in the meeting in March. The 1963 winner City Line won the event defeating Lemon Twist by five lengths and setting a new stakes record of 1:422⁄5. City Line would go on and repeat his win in his next start defeating Lemon Twist again by eight lengths in the Louisiana Derby. Mrs. Dorothy Dorsett Brown's two horse entry of Dapper Delegate and Doc Wesley won the event in 1965 starting at the short odds of 1/2. Dapper Delegate would also go on and in a fortnight capture the Louisiana Derby.