Super Derby

The Super Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to three-year-olds and the distance is 1+1⁄8 miles on the dirt. Currently a Grade III event, it is the richest race held at Louisiana Downs. In its history, the Super Derby has attracted some of the top horses in the country including winners of all three American Classic Races.

The Super Derby was a Grade I race from 1983 to 2001. In 2002, it was downgraded to Grade II and in 2016, it was downgraded again to Grade III. It was originally run at the American classic distance of 1+1⁄4 miles, but in 2002 the distance was reduced to 1+1⁄8 miles (the exception being 2005 when the distance reverted to 1+1⁄4 miles). In 2017 the distance was set at 1+1⁄16 miles.

In summary: [1]

In 2017, the Super Derby lost its graded status and changed surfaces from dirt to turf. "Today, there are a lot fewer 3-year-old races on the grass. We want our key race to have the best and largest field we can put out there, and making the move to the turf, there's an opportunity to have a better overall quality field", stated Trent McIntosh, the assistant general manager of Louisiana Downs.[2]

• 1+1⁄8 miles – 2002–2004, 2006–2016
• 1+1⁄4 miles – 1980–2001, 2005
• 1+1⁄16 miles – 2017 – present
• Dirt – 1980–2016
• Turf – 2017 – present

The 2020 Super Derby, what was to be the 40th running, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023 the event resumed as a Black-type event.