LQHBA has announced a significant purse increase for Accredited Louisiana-Bred races during the upcoming 2026 Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse meet.

ALEXANDRIA, LA—JULY 29, 2026—The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) has announced a significant purse increase for Accredited Louisiana-Bred races during the upcoming 2026 Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse meet, boosting overnight race purses by approximately 20 percent.

The 46-night meeting opens October 1 and continues through December 19, with Accredited Louisiana-Bred overnight races—including maiden, allowance, and claiming events—receiving a $4,000 purse increase per race.

The enhanced purses are designed to provide additional opportunities and incentives for Louisiana breeders, owners, and horsemen competing at one of the state's premier Quarter Horse racing meets.

As an example of the increase, an Accredited Louisiana-Bred two-year-old maiden race that carried a $17,500 purse during last year's Evangeline Downs meet will now offer $21,500 in 2026.

In addition to the higher overnight purses, the Evangeline Downs meet will once again feature one of the nation's strongest state-bred stakes programs. The schedule is highlighted by the Grade 1 Louisiana Million Futurity, one of the richest races restricted to Accredited Louisiana-Breds and a cornerstone event of the state's Quarter Horse racing calendar.

The purse increases underscore the continued commitment of the LQHBA to strengthening Louisiana's breeding and racing program while rewarding breeders and owners who invest in Accredited Louisiana-Bred Quarter Horses.

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