Fair Grounds, per Louisiana state law, draws its races at least seven days out, so Thanksgiving's opening-day card of the 2019 - 2020 racing season was assembled Thursday. It's a whopper, too, with 118 horses entered in nine races. That total's even better when you consider just five horses were entered in the opening-day feature, the $100,000 Thanksgiving Classic. 

The Thanksgiving Classic, a six-furlong dirt sprint, drew (from the rail out) Whereshetoldmetogo, Tringale, Sonic Mule, Wilbo, and Bobby's Wicked One.

This race used to be called the Thanksviging Handicap but Fair Grounds, following the lead of big-sister track Churchill Downs, has eliminated handicap races this season. The most prominent such race, historically called the New Orleans Handicap, now is the New Orleans Classic.

The Nov. 29 card didn't fill quite as well as Thanksgiving but still averages more than 10 horses per race. 

Post time Thanksgiving is noon, Central, while standard first post is 12:30.

Fair Grounds still has about 700 unoccupied stalls awaiting horses that will ship from Churchill Downs after the meet there ends after Thanksgiving.