New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson went straight from Paris, France to Paris, Kentucky this week, landing in the heart of American horse country for a visit. The whirlwind trip was the latest move in a six-year campaign to position New Orleans as a future host city for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, one of thoroughbred racing's biggest annual events.
Mayor Helena Moreno made the same cross-Atlantic-to-Kentucky dash, traveling directly from Paris to Paris for a trip that also lasted under a day, according to WDSU. Moreno said she has actively supported Benson's effort for many years and that the Kentucky visit could advance the push, strengthen relationships across the racing industry and position New Orleans for a future spot in the event's host-city rotation. Benson was set to host an opening-night reception on Tuesday night, as NOLA.com reported.
The guest list reflected the scale of Benson's ambitions. Invitees included officials from the Breeders' Cup, the Dubai Racing Club, Royal Ascot Racing and the Japanese Racing Association, alongside Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Ochsner Health CEO Pete November and developer Darryl Berger, per the same account from NOLA.com. Landry said hosting the Breeders' Cup at the Fair Grounds would showcase Louisiana's horse racing industry.
A Six-Year Campaign Rooted in Kentucky Ties
Benson's push isn't new. Greg Bensel, her chief spokesperson and the Saints' senior vice president of communications, said her interest in hosting the Breeders' Cup stems from a desire to diversify economic development opportunities, and that he and Benson have discussed adding Fair Grounds Race Course to the event's annual rotation with board members since 2020. Benson has been an avid horsewoman for more than a decade and, with her late husband Tom Benson, purchased the farm in Paris, Kentucky that now operates as a 600-acre breeding and rehabilitation facility, according to The Advocate.
Her connection to the sport runs through the GMB Racing stable, which has sent three colts to the Kentucky Derby — Mo Tom and Tom's Ready in 2016, and Lone Sailor in 2018, the station notes. Her horses have also competed in past Breeders' Cup races and Triple Crown events. Bensel said both Landry and Moreno support the effort to bring the Breeders' Cup to New Orleans.
The Price Tag and the Unanswered Question of Who Pays
Hosting the Breeders' Cup at the Fair Grounds would require years of lead time and tens of millions of dollars. The track would need a thorough renovation costing between $50 million and $100 million, including new corporate suites and other amenities, according to NOLA.com. Who would fund that renovation remains unclear, the outlet reported.
Churchill Downs has owned the Fair Grounds since buying it out of bankruptcy from the Krantz family in 2004, and the company also competes with its own flagship Kentucky track as a potential Breeders' Cup host. A spokesperson for Churchill Downs and the Fair Grounds said hosting the event there would be an exciting opportunity and that the company looks forward to discussions with stakeholders. Bensel said the effort will continue despite the hurdles, though its fate ultimately depends on the Breeders' Cup, the Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs.
Breeders' Cup officials have so far kept their cards close. Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited, said he would not discuss future host sites, and Breeders' Cup officials declined to comment on adding New Orleans to the annual rotation, per NOLA.com.
Why the Fair Grounds' Finances Complicate the Pitch
The push comes as the Fair Grounds navigates its own financial pressures. The track paid out $32 million in purses in 2024, nearly half of Louisiana's total thoroughbred purses, The Advocate reported. Churchill Downs has said the loss of historical horse-racing machines would cut Louisiana revenue by 46% and profits by 74%, and that it costs roughly $9 million a year just to operate the track.
Churchill Downs Inc. did reach an agreement with Louisiana horsemen to continue racing at the Fair Grounds, with the traditional schedule running from late November to late March planned pending Louisiana Racing Commission approval, according to BloodHorse. The Fair Grounds employs about 500 full- and part-time workers year-round, a number that grows to nearly 1,000 during racing season, per Biz New Orleans. Louisiana's thoroughbred foal crop and industry footprint, meanwhile, have declined by 50% over the last decade, according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
What Hosting Could Mean Economically
Other host cities offer a glimpse of the stakes. The Breeders' Cup has staged its World Championships at 12 elite North American tracks since its 1984 founding, according to the New York Racing Association, and it rotates among host cities while drawing international competitors, thousands of visitors and significant global attention, per WDSU. Last year's event at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club near San Diego generated an estimated $125 million in economic impact and $210 million in global wagering.
This year's Breeders' Cup runs Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, where organizers expect roughly $100 million in economic impact for the region, according to WKYT. When Lexington hosted in 2022, the event generated an $81 million impact, including more than $30 million in hospitality, retail, food and beverage spending. Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, has already locked in the 2027 Breeders' Cup, backed by a $455 million capital construction project that includes a new 300,000-square-foot, five-story building with modern hospitality amenities, per the New York Racing Association.
Benson's trip to France and Kentucky also included business-networking events connecting Louisiana and French business leaders, tied to the Saints' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first NFL game played in Paris — a matchup the Saints lost. She returned to the United States from France on Monday before heading almost immediately to Kentucky, capping a week built around promoting both New Orleans and Louisiana on the international stage.
