An announcement dated March 12, 1837, in The Picayune exclaims completion of the Carrollton Race Course.

April 10 the first race for "The Creole Purse" $1,000, free only for horses bred and owned in the state of Louisiana; two-year-olds a feather' three-year-olds 86lbs; four-year-olds, 100lbs' five-year-olds, 110lbs; six-year-olds, 118lbs; aged 124lbs; with the usual allowance of three pounds to mare and geldings; mile heats.

First Day, First Race - owners and horses: Fergus Duplantier, Louisianese; John F Miller, Lord of the Isles; Robert J Barrows, Tom Jones; Y.N.

Owners and horses: Minor Kenner, Richard of York; A Barrows, Louisa Bascombe; Fergus Duplantier, Wren.

J Wells, Dick Chin; J. S. Garrison, Pollard; John Randolph Grymes, Susan Yandall; Robert Smith, Pete Whetstone.

Fourth Day-"Jockey Club Plate" value $1,500 and $500, -four-mile heats-to the winner, and $500 to the second-best horse, provided more than two start.

In 1872 the first race card is held at the Fair Grounds under the auspices of the Louisiana Jockey Club.

The Crescent City Jockey Club was established in 1892 and ran a winter racing season from December to April until they had to liquidate their assets in the spring of 1913.

[6][7] In 1907, Colonel Matt Winn arrived in New Orleans to establish racing dates and deal with other matters in the Louisiana horse industry.

In 1993, the grandstand was completely destroyed by a seven-alarm fire and racing continued with temporary facilities in place for a couple of years.

Fair Grounds was heavily damaged in Hurricane Katrina, and was closed for over a year, until re-opening on Thanksgiving Day 2006.

Both the great race mare Pan Zareta and the winner of the 1924 Kentucky Derby, Black Gold are buried in the infield.

In addition to the grandstand and clubhouse, an adjacent building, formerly used for simulcasting, opened on September 21, 2007, as a temporary slot-machine gaming facility.