Indigo Woods Wins $100,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial; Walsh Sweeps Sibling 3-Year-Old Turf Stakes

By Kevin Kilroy —-

​3-7-2026 Indigo Woods, with Axel Concepcion aboard, wins the 19th Running of the Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial Stakes Turf Sprint at Fair Grounds Racecourse in New Orleans, LA. Hodges Photography/ Amanda Hodges Weir

Walsh Sweeps Sibling 3-Year-Old Turf Stakes

NEW ORLEANS (March 7, 2026) — Larry Rodgers and Coast Racing’s filly Indigo Woods returned from a layoff in impressive fashion Saturday, capturing the $100,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to give trainer Brendan Walsh a sweep of the track’s end of year 3-year-old sibling turf stakes.

Ridden by Axel Concepcion, the Irish-bred covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.80 over a firm turf course with the portable rail set at 21 feet, winning by a half-length over Faithful Departed. Bohemian finished third.

The victory followed Walsh’s win in last Saturday’s Black Gold Stakes with Black Hornet, the companion race to the LaCombe.

Loveliest set the early pace, posting opening fractions of :23.96 and :48.92 while Indigo Woods tracked comfortably just behind the leaders. Concepcion guided Indigo Woods wide entering the far turn, where the filly made a bold bid for the lead. She surged clear in the stretch and held off a late charge from the longshot Faithful Departed, trained by Grant Forster.

“Today, she broke really good and put me in a great spot,” Concepcion said. “She was traveling like the winner every step of the way. As soon as I asked at the quarter pole, she was there for me.”

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Indigo Woods returned $5.40 to win, $4 to place and $2.60 to show.

“We gave her a little bit of time to develop after her win at Churchill Downs,” assistant trainer Paul Madden said. “She is a big, rangy filly and very talented. This is hopefully the start of a good 3-year-old career. It’s exciting times for her owner and the barn.”

Indigo Woods, who broke her maiden in her lone previous start in October at Churchill Downs, improved her career record to 2-for-2 with earnings of $97,800.

Louisiana Derby Draw Show Set

The draw for the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) will be conducted live on the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots simulcast feed following Race 1 on Saturday, March 14, at approximately 3:10 p.m. CT. The program will be hosted by Joe Kristufek, with the official morning line scheduled for release following Race 2.

March Kicks Off With Pair of 5-Day Race Weeks, Twilight Racing

Live racing at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots continues on Sunday and Monday this week, the first of two consecutive five-day race weeks, with Monday, March 9 and Monday March 16 added to the racing calendar.

On Saturday, March 14, Fair Grounds will host Clash of the Colleges Twilight Races. College students, fans and alumni will attend the races in their college gear for a fun night of horse racing under the stars, followed by live music in the clubhouse. First post is 3 p.m. CT.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.