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Arkansas Derby Boosted to $1.25M, Date Changed for ’22

Oaklawn announced Tuesday that the purse for the 2022 GI Arkansas Derby has been increased to $1.25 million and will be contested Saturday, Apr. 2. The date shift is a departure from the traditional three weeks before the Kentucky Derby and the increased purse makes the race the richest event among Derby preps. In 2022, Oaklawn will offer a record 36 stakes worth $12.3 million. In addition to the Arkansas Derby, three stakes will carry million dollar purses and 15 other stakes will offer purses ranging from $200,000 up to $750,000. Every stakes race will have at least a $150,000 purse. With the shift in the track's racing calendar that now begins in December, Oaklawn will stage its first 2-year-old stakes since 1973–the Advent S. On opening day, Friday, Dec. 3.

“When we launched our $100 million expansion program two years ago, we said our goal was to take Oaklawn to a new level of excellence,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “Historically, Oaklawn's 3-year-old series has offered the most Kentucky Derby qualifying points of any track in the country. With the extra timing between races and added purse money, we believe Oaklawn will only grow as 'the' place to prepare for the Triple Crown races.”

The new date of the Arkansas Derby will have a ripple effect on Oaklawn's other major 3-year old races. The $1,000,000 GII Rebel S. will be run Saturday, Feb. 26, the $750,000 GIII Southwest S. is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 29. The Smarty Jones S. will kick off the series on New Year's Day with a purse that has been increased by $100,000 to $250,000.

Highlighting the older horse divisions, the GII Oaklawn H. and GI Apple Blossom H., will both offer a $1-million purse. The are both scheduled for Apr. 23. Also slated for older horses during the meet are the $150,000 Fifth Season S. Jan. 15, GIII Razorback H. Feb. 12 and the $500,000 Essex H. Mar. 19. For older fillies and mares, Oaklawn has added the $150,000 Pippin S. Jan. 8, $250,000 GIII Bayakoa S. Feb. 5 and the Mar. 12 $350,000 GII Azeri S.

The Arkansas-bred program will feature six stakes races after the addition of the $150,000 Natural State Breeders' S. for 3-year-old fillies and older at one mile May 6. The highlight of the series is the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles May 7.

The 2021-2022 Oaklawn live meet runs Friday, Dec. 3 through Sunday, May 8. There is no racing Dec. 24-26 for Christmas or Apr. 17 for Easter.

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Purse Increases Announced for Saratoga; First Condition Book Available

The New York Racing Association will offer increased purses for its 2021 Saratoga meet, it announced Tuesday. The first online condition book for the meet is now available at www.nyra.com/saratoga/horsemen. Physical copies will be available in the Belmont Park racing office starting Friday.

All open stakes with a previously listed purse of $100,000 have been increased to $120,000. Open maiden special weights have been given a $10,000 bump to $100,000, while New York-bred MSWs have gone from $80,000 to $85,000. All other conditions have also been given purse increases.

“We look forward to welcoming horsemen from across the country back to Saratoga,” said Keith Doleshel, NYRA Racing Secretary for the Saratoga summer meet. “The purse increases across the board should help make the 2021 season a summer full of the competitive racing that Saratoga is known for.”

NYRA will once again offer maiden races restricted to horses who sold or RNA'd at their last auction for $45,000 or less–purses in the first condition book for those races are $80,000, up $5,000 from last year.

The Saratoga meet opens on Thursday, July 15 and will continue through Monday, Sept. 6. Dark days will be Monday and Tuesday–other than the traditional closing day on Labor Day.

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Lone Star Overnight Purses Increasing

Officials at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie have announced that all overnight purses will be raised across the board by 20%, beginning with Friday's live racing program.

Purses that ranged from $12,000 for bottom-level claimers to $39,000 for open allowance races will now carry prize money between $14,400 and $46,800.

The Thoroughbred meeting at Lone Star Park continues through Sunday, July 11.

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Churchill Purses Get $3.1M Boost From HHR Revenue

Before the first race is run Saturday on Opening Night of its 38-day Spring Meet, Churchill Downs Racetrack announced that purses will be raised an additional $3.1 million thanks to revenue from the historical racing machines at Derby City Gaming.

Total purses offered in the first condition book for horsemen, which covers 190 races over 19 dates through Thursday, May 27, have grown to $22,822,100 for a daily average of $1,201,163. That represents a 5.9% increase from the previously published $21,544,000.

Maiden special weight races are now worth $115,000 during Kentucky Derby Week and $100,000 post-Derby, which is up from the previously published $106,000 and $91,000, respectively. Kentucky Derby Week allowance races will range from $118,000 to $125,000 and $102,000 to $109,000 after Derby. They were $109,000 to $116,000 and $93,000 to $100,000, respectively.

Additionally, the purses for 25 stakes races were boosted. A trio of stakes received $50,000 increases: the $150,000 Audubon for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 29; Grade II, $300,000 Fleur de Lis for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on June 26; and Grade II, $300,000 Wise Dan for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf June 26. Fourteen stakes originally worth $125,000 were boosted $25,000 to $150,000 and eight overnight stakes races received $10,000 increases.

The 40-race Spring Meet stakes schedule now totals $14.02 million.

The growth has been driven by handle on historical racing machines at Derby City Gaming, which is located at 4520 Poplar Level Road.

“Over the last 10 years, historical horse racing has allowed our equine industry to flourish, increasing purses and creating a more competitive racing circuit,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson. “It has led to new jobs, economic growth and tourism.”

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