The Eclipse Race Course was the third formal thoroughbred horse racing track in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1837 by Captain Yelverton Oliver, who owned the famous thoroughbred Richard of York. Oliver, a native Virginian, organized The New Orleans Jockey Club.
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Owned by: Captain Yelverton Oliver Date opened: 1837 Course type: Flat/Thoroughbred
History
The first race course in New Orleans was laid out in 1820 by Francois Livaudais on his Live Oak Plantation, near the intersection of St. Charles and Washington Avenues. The Jackson Course followed in 1825. The Eclipse Race Course (originally announced as the Carrollton Race Course) was established in the village of Carrollton, New Orleans.
An announcement dated March 12, 1837, in The Picayune proclaimed the completion of the Carrollton Race Course. On Tuesday, March 14, 1837, two races were held. On Friday, March 17, 1837, The Louisiana Jockey Club sponsored the purse for the fourth day of racing at the Eclipse Race Course, hosted by The New Orleans Jockey Club.
The Spring Meeting of The New Orleans Jockey Club began Tuesday, March 14, 1837, and featured six days of racing with purses ranging from $500 to $2,000, with race distances from one mile to four-mile heats. The New Orleans Plate consisted of a Silver Tea Service valued at $1,000.
The Fall meeting of 1838 (beginning December 4) featured notable horses including Wagner (owned by J.S. Garrison), Zelina (owned by Henry A. Tayloe), and Richard of York (owned by Minor Kenner).
The Eclipse Race Course operated until approximately 1849. It played a significant role in revitalizing horse racing in the American South by attracting elite horsemen, high-stakes purses, and large crowds from across the United States, positioning New Orleans as a leading horse racing center. By 1847, during the Mexican-American War, New Orleans boasted four tracks: the Metairie, the Eclipse, the Union, and the Bingaman.
