infield festival tickets on sale monday at fgno.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jim Mulvihill, Communications and Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager, 504.948.1233, james.mulvihill@fgno.com

NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, January 17, 2013) - Tickets for the first-ever Louisiana Derby Infield Festival on March 30 - featuring a concert by Cowboy Mouth and the largest food truck gathering ever in New Orleans - go on sale Monday at 9 a.m. at FGNO.com/tickets. Presenting partners include Coors Light and Jägermeister.

The Louisiana Derby is a $1 million event for 3-year-old horses attempting to earn their way into the world's most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby, held five weeks later at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. The richest and most prestigious Thoroughbred race in the Deep South, the Louisiana Derby will celebrate its milestone 100^th running this year.

Infield Festival General Admission tickets are $25. Special VIP tickets - which include access to an exclusive VIP area, four vouchers redeemable for free food and drink at any Infield food truck or bar, and use of the executive trailer restroom facilities - are $60. A limited number of VIP Suite reservations - which include unlimited catered food and open bar for most of the day, access to the VIP Suite and observation deck at the finish line, and use of the executive trailer restroom facilities - are available for $150 per person (also offered as tables of 10 for $1,500).

The Infield Festival food offerings will feature an unprecedented amount of locally based street fare from food trucks, pop-ups and caterers. Confirmed participants include BBQ and Some, Bratz Y'all, Chad's Bistro, Crepes a la Carte, Empanada Infitada, Frencheeze, Freshjunkie, Fry Bar NOLA, La Cocinita, Linda the Yakamein Lady, NOLA Girl, PJ's Coffee, Rue Chow, Sweet and Savory and Woody's Fish Tacos, with more vendors to be added.

"Whether sport, food or entertainment is preferred, our goal is to bring New Orleans's favorite pastimes together for both our longtime customers and those new to the Fair Grounds experience," said Fair Grounds Senior Director of Marketing Mark Conner.

Infield Festival access opens at Noon. First post (the first race of the day) on Louisiana Derby Day is set for 2 p.m. (all times Central), with 13 races total scheduled for the day. The featured Louisiana Derby, to be televised nationally, will run in the late afternoon during the five o'clock hour. Cowboy Mouth will take to the Jägermeister Stage in the Infield immediately after the Louisiana Derby is run and will play into the evening. The final Thoroughbred race of the day will finish around 8 p.m. and Cowboy Mouth will continue on until lead singer Fred LeBlanc decides it's time to go home. 

Infield Festival will mark the first time the green space within the track oval has been open to the public on a live racing day since the 1930s. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged; outside food and drink is prohibited.

"Like the best Louisiana festivals, our Infield Festival is going to offer something for everyone," said Fair Grounds President Tim Bryant. "This is a party centered on the 100^th running of our state's signature horse race, but it's also a celebration of food, music and the joie de vivre that makes New Orleans special."

For a limited time, discounted $20 Infield Festival tickets are available to those who also register for that morning's Crescent City Classic foot race online via ccc10k.com. 

Advance Fair Grounds tickets are already available online for six remaining Starlight Racing dates (Jan. 18, Feb. 1, Feb. 22, March 1, March 8 and March 15) and two days of high-quality graded stakes racing (Road to the Derby Kickoff Day Presented by Hotel Monteleone on Saturday and Louisiana Derby Preview Day Presented by Lamarque Ford on Feb. 23).

About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation's third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 10 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 141^st Thoroughbred Racing Season runs through March 31, 2013, highlighted by the milestone 100^th running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby for Kentucky Derby hopefuls on March 30, 2013. More information can be found online at http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/.