Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson flew back to the U.S. from France Monday after a week of events promoting New Orleans and Louisiana amid the fanfare of the NFL’s first game in the country.
But instead of heading home, she travelled straight from Paris, France to Paris, Kentucky. There, at her 600-acre horse farm, she was promoting another opportunity for New Orleans: the chance to host one of thoroughbred racing’s premier events.
The Benson farm at Greenwood Lodge in Paris. Ky. (Photos provided by the Benson family)
Photos provided by the Benson fa
Benson on Tuesday night was set to host some 200 VIPs from the world of thoroughbred racing for an opening-night reception for the Breeders’ Cup World Championship, which she has been working to bring to New Orleans for the past six years.
No firm deal is in the works. But Greg Bensel, Benson’s chief spokesperson, said he and Benson have been in talks with members of the Breeders’ Cup board of directors since 2020 about adding New Orleans’ Fair Grounds Race Course to the rotating list of historic racetracks that hold the annual championship.
“This party is Mrs. Benson’s way of saying if the Breeder’s Cup comes to New Orleans, this is how we do it,” said Bensel, who is the Senior Vice President of Communications for the Saints.
The Breeders’ Cup is a major event on the annual horseracing calendar, on par with the Kentucky Derby and the other Triple Crown races. It brings thoroughbred owners, breeders and jet-setting horseracing enthusiasts to the communities where it is held annually on the first weekend of November.
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in San Diego, California had an estimated $125 million economic impact and generated $210 million in global wagering.
Bensel said Gov. Jeff Landry and Mayor Helena Moreno are both on board with efforts to bring the race to New Orleans and support it, though it’s not clear what that may mean in terms of a future investment of public dollars.
Breeders’ Cup officials declined to comment on the possibility of adding New Orleans to their annal rotation. But Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders’ Cup Limited, before noting he wouldn’t discuss future host sites, said, “Who doesn’t love New Orleans, and especially Mrs. Benson?”
A who’s who
Benson has been an avid horsewoman for more than a decade, since she and her late husband, Tom Benson, purchased the farm in Paris, Kentucky, the heart of thoroughbred country. Her horses have run in past Breeders’ Cup races and Triple Crown events.
The Benson farm at Greenwood Lodge in Paris. Ky. (Photos provided by the Benson family)
Photos provided by the Benson fa
The reception on the sprawling grounds comes on the heels of Benson’s nearly week-long trip to France for the Saints’ first-of-its kind matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris. Though the Saints lost, the trip included business networking events that brought together Louisiana and French business leaders.
Bensel said Benson’s interest in bringing the Breeders’ Cup to New Orleans is rooted in a desire to bring a diverse mix of economic development opportunities in the city.
New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson greets French President Emmanuel Macron during a luncheon meeting at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. The meeting centered on growing the NFL and flag football in France in advance of the Saints playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first NFL game in Paris on Sunday.
Courtesy New Orleans Saints
“This is all about economic development and tourism,” he said. “It’s a continuation of what we were doing in France. How do we build business, commerce and bring events to the city?”
Moreno said in a prepared statement Tuesday that she has “actively supported” Benson’s efforts to bring the Breeders’ Cup to New Orleans for many years and said the Kentucky visit is “an opportunity to continue advancing those efforts, strengthen relationships within the thoroughbred racing industry and help position New Orleans for consideration in a future host-city rotation.”
Among those invited Tuesday to mingle with Benson and Moreno, who was set to attend the event, were officials with the Breeders’ Cup organization, Dubai Racing Club, Royal Ascot Racing and Japanese Racing Association. Also invited were Landry, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and several local business executives like Ochsner Health CEO Pete November and developer Darryl Berger.
Asked about the effort Tuesday morning, Landry said, “It would be unbelievable to be able to have the Breeders Cup at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and showcase all of the great things that Louisiana’s horse racing industry has been able to accomplish over the decades.”
Expensive upgrades
Bringing the Breeders’ Cup to New Orleans, if it were to happen at all, would still be years away and cost in the tens of millions of dollars.
Bensel said the Fair Grounds would need a thorough renovation and upgrade that could cost between $50 million and $100 million.
“It’s like the Super Bowl,” he said. “So, you would need to make the Fair Grounds great with corporate suites and other amenities.”
Trainer Chad Brown leads the horse Emerging Market out onto the race track with Jockey Flavien Pratt before the Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK
It’s not clear who would pay for that kind of pricey renovation. Potentially complicating matters, among the historic tracks with which the Fair Grounds would be competing to host the Breeders’ Cup is Churchill Downs in Kentucky, which has owned the Fair Grounds since 2004.
A spokesperson for Churchill Downs and the Fair Grounds said in a statement that, “Hosting the Breeders’ Cup at Fair Grounds would be an exciting opportunity for the racetrack, the City of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. While there is nothing to share at this time, we look forward to engaging in discussions with all the relevant stakeholders.”
Jockey Flavien Prat wins the Louisiana Derby on the horse Emerging Market at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (Staff photo by Enan Chediak, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK
Bensel acknowledged there are hurdles but said the effort will continue moving forward.
“This is strictly up to the Breeders’ Cup and the folks at the Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs,” Bensel said. “But we’re to do anything we can to support it.”