Fair Grounds opens its 2025-’26 racing season Thursday and once again 1/ST BET and Xpressbet open the Cornucopia of Cash. Another Bet $100, Get $10 offer will be in play for the Fair Grounds card, which gets underway at 1:45 pm ET. Forecast is for temps nearing 80 degrees and mostly sunny skies.

Fair Grounds | Race 3 | 2:45 pm ET

#3 Butcher Holler (8-1 morning line odds) represents trainer Keith Bourgeois, who has been a tremendously fast starter to the Fair Grounds meetings the past 2 years. He’s won 6 of 19 November starts locally in 2023-’24, popping $24, $45 and $56 prices in that span. Two of those huge prices came via Delta Downs like Butcher Holler, who is in excellent form currently. Win bet #3. Daily Double 3-12 to our next play.

Fair Grounds | Race 4 | 3:15 pm ET

#12 South Side (12-1 morning line odds) is the second of 2 Keith Bourgeois trainees on the card (see FG meet-opening stats above in Race 3 comments). This one runs second off the layoff and can be excused for the dirt performance last out. He’s back on the FG turf, where he won at 27-1 to open last year’s meet at a big price in a similar form cycle under Mitch Murrill and reunites. Win-place bet #12.

Fair Grounds | Race 7 | 4:45 pm ET

#5 Quick Kiss (3-1 morning line odds) looks to continue an early tear trainer Larry Rivelli set forth at Fair Grounds last year. He won with 4 of his first 5 two-year-olds at the meet (2 of 3 with debut runners like this). Quick Kiss is a well-meant $200,000 purchase who figures to be well put together given the more modest pedigree for that price. Win bet #5.