Louis Cella | Horse Racing Free Tips

Oaklawn Adding Two Race Days

Oaklawn Park is adding two race days to their calendar–Sunday, Apr. 7 and Sunday, May 5–to make up for recent cancellations due to inclement weather.

“We are excited to announce the two additional dates of Apr. 7 and May 5 to Oaklawn's 2023-2024 racing calendar,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “Thoroughbred racing is the heart and soul of Oaklawn, and adding these days provides even more opportunities for faithful fans to cheer on their favorite horses and for our horsemen to compete for additional purses.”

Oaklawn will race four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, for a period of three weeks beginning Mar. 7. The Apr. 7 addition will conclude four days of live racing that week. Oaklawn was originally set to close on Kentucky Derby day, Saturday, May 4.

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Oaklawn’s Purse Growth Continues

The largest purse increase in Oaklawn Park history was unveiled in a release Wednesday by the track. Purse distribution for the upcoming 2023-2024 season is set for $60 million, which amounts to a $10 million or 20% increase over last season's record-setting $50 million distribution.

The average daily purses will top $900,000 when the season starts on Dec. 8. Purses for allowance races will be $140,000–$145,000, maiden special weights will be $115,000 and the minimum purse on any race will be $30,000.

“Let me put this in perspective,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “Our season purses will be three times greater than they were just 10 years ago. And we've made sure it's been across all levels of our racing product.”

Cella credits the record purses to the racing-gaming model the track has developed over the last 20 years and to a massive $100 million expansion project that was recently completed.

“We are proving that racing and gaming not only can co-exist, but they can actually enhance each other,” Cella added. “And we're really seeing it now that we've finished our luxury trackside hotel, events center and spa.”

In conjunction with record purses, Oaklawn and the Arkansas HBPA will again offer participation bonuses to owners and trainers. Owners will receive $200 for every starter during the season. Trainers will receive $250 for any starter that does not finish first, second or third.

“We worked with Oaklawn to launch this program a year ago,” said HBPA President Bill Walmsley. “And I've heard nothing but positive comments from horsemen.”

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Richest Prep Series Gets Richer At Oaklawn

Oaklawn Park is pumping nearly $1 million more into the purses for its 3-year-old races, the track said in a release Wednesday.

Oaklawn increased the purses of the four races pointing toward the GI Kentucky Derby a total of $600,000, with the GI Arkansas Derby bumped to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000; the GII Rebel S. going to $1,250,000 from $1,000,000; and the GIII Southwest S. and Smarty Jones increasing to $800,000 and $300,000, respectively.

The purses for the three races for 3-year-old fillies with GI Kentucky Oaks aspirations were also increased, with the GIII Fantasy S. increased to $750,000; the GIII Honeybee S. to $400,000 and the Martha Washington S. to $250,000–a total increase of $300,000.

Purses were also increased for 14 additional stakes races, including the two most important races for older runners. The GI Apple Blossom H. and the GII Oaklawn H. were both increased to $1.25 million, jumping the total purses in the stakes program to a record $16.2 million.

“It's absolutely remarkable how our stakes program has grown in recent years,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “We've doubled the number of stakes we offer and have added millions to the purses. We want our fans to have the opportunity to see some of the top thoroughbreds in the country, and increasing the purses to this level will bring those horses. This is what our stakes program is all about.”

The Hot Springs track will also add two new races to the schedule for 3-year-old sprinters, the six-furlong $150,000 Ozark S. and the $150,000 Mockingbird S. for 3-year-old fillies, bringing the total number of stakes races to 47, also a track record.

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Oaklawn, Arkansas HBPA Offer Owner’s Reward

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort and the Arkansas H.B.P.A. will honor Thoroughbred owners with a $400 per horse cash reward, regardless of where their horse finishes in a race, beginning Mar. 18 through the end of the racing season, May 6, 2023.

Stakes races are excluded from Owner's Reward program. Owners of runners competing in allowance races will be eligible as long as seven or more horses arrive in the paddock. Owners of horses competing in all other races will be eligible as long as eight or more horses arrive in the paddock.

“Halfway through our 2022-2023 season, Oaklawn has awarded jockeys, trainers and owners with the highest purses in the country for the time we race,” said Louis Cella Oaklawn President. “In addition, we have instituted a new trainer bonus this season. For the first time at Oaklawn, we now offer an Owner's Reward for the second half of our season. We hope this reward will entice owners to continue Oaklawn's standing as having the nation's leading field size per race.”

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