Before announcing the field for the 82nd Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park had a surprise for the racing industry Wednesday.
Honoring and shattering tradition in the same instant, the track announced that it would race 57 days again next year but alter its late winter and early spring dates.
In what track president Louis A. Cella called "perhaps the most significant scheduling change in Oaklawn's 115-year history," the 2019 season will open Friday, Jan. 25, and end Saturday, May 4. The opening date is two weeks later than in past years while the meeting ends three weeks later, coinciding with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Other than 1945, when the track had to postpone its season until fall because of wartime restrictions, Oaklawn has concluded its annual racing season with the Arkansas Derby, which in recent years has been mid-April.
The Arkansas Derby remains "the pinnacle of our season," Cella said, and will remain three weeks before the Kentucky Derby. Three Arkansas Derby winners and three race runners-up have won the Kentucky Derby, which observes its 144th running May 5. Respective 2019 dates will be April 13 for the Arkansas Derby and May 4 for the Kentucky Derby.
What the first-year track president called a "sea-change in our scheduling" has received enthusiastic approval of Arkansas horsemen, the Arkansas Racing Commission and the Hot Springs tourism industry, he said.
"This is an idea that has been discussed internally for a number of years, and now the time seems right to make the change," Cella said. "The quality of our program is calling on us to present racing in the most favorable weather conditions. There is nowhere in America more beautiful for great racing than Arkansas in the spring."
The current 57-day season ends Saturday with a 12-race card, after which horses leave for tracks out of state. Asked if Oaklawn could keep a sufficient number of horses to race longer next year, racing commission chairman Alex Lieblong, a horse owner himself, said "with the purses, yes."
Largely backed by revenue from its gaming center, Oaklawn has raised purses twice this year to, it says, the highest level of any winter-spring race meet in the country. Wednesday's nine-race card, for instance, included four races worth more than $80,000. Saturday's card includes four stakes totaling $2.3 million with the Arkansas Derby a meet-high $1 million and the Oaklawn Handicap $750,000.
The 2019 stakes schedule has not been announced, though the later season "gives us the capacity to write more tremendous races," Cella said.
Oaklawn will maintain its regular Thursday-Sunday schedule and race Presidents Day Monday, Feb. 18. With the Smarty Jones date subject to change from the Monday of opening weekend, Arkansas Derby prep races conceivably would be Feb. 18 (Southwest) and March 16 (Rebel).
The prospect of adding a turf course has received "zero consideration," Cella said, largely because "you can't grow grass here in January."
Also out, he said, is 2-year-old racing, which the late Charles J. Cella banned early in his nearly 50 years as track president. "He was adamant about that," said Louis Cella, who succeeded his father after the latter's death in December 2017. "He thought it was too early in the year to race such young horses."
Opening two weeks later next year relieves one of Charles Cella's longtime concerns, said his son, "which was how to get us out of January." Oaklawn lost two race days this past January because of weather, bumping the total of lost cards for weather to 14 in the last decade.
"We are essentially trading January race days, when there is always the chance of cancellation due to weather, for April race dates, when Arkansas weather is at its finest," said Bill Walmsley, board member of the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and former HBPA national president. "The later closing should be an additional enticement to the top racing stables to come to Arkansas. And, continuing to race following the Arkansas Derby will keep the excitement for racing going another three weeks."
Cella said with the Kentucky Derby falling on May 2 in 2020 and May 1 in 2021, Oaklawn had to tweak its dates to prevent opening earlier.
Wednesday's announcement was made on the lower level of the grandstand and attended by civic leaders including Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs.
"We've been trying to keep this news in-house the last few weeks," Cella said, "but word got out because I've had people in recent days come up and congratulate me."
Sports on 04/12/2018