Purses up all around in 2021 Oaklawn meeting

Horses and Jockeys break from the gate during the first race of the 2020 live race meet at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Jan. 24. - Photo by Richard Rasmussen of The Sentinel-Record
Horses and Jockeys break from the gate during the first race of the 2020 live race meet at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Jan. 24. - Photo by Richard Rasmussen of The Sentinel-Record

Oaklawn Park's 2021 racing season bears striking resemblance to what track officials envisioned this year until larger forces intervened.

The 57-day meeting, announced Wednesday and pending approval from the Arkansas Racing Commission, features noticeable purse increases across the board. Oaklawn repeats its plan of conducting four $1 million races including its marquee event, the Arkansas Derby April 10, and major Derby prep, the March 13 Rebel Stakes. American Pharoah won both races in 2015 and became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years and to race at Oaklawn. Those races and two others for 3-year-olds, the Smarty Jones Jan. 22 and Southwest Feb. 15, offer qualifying points for the 147th Kentucky Derby.

Oaklawn's two major races for older horses, both $1 million, fall on April 17, the Saturday after the Arkansas Derby. Plans to run the Apple Blossom Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap for $1 million each on the same day this year fell through when the COVID-19 pandemic forced rescheduling of major races and purse cutbacks.

Oaklawn, in fact, conducted more programs (29) without fans this year than with the grandstand open. The quality of racing did not suffer, however, and neither did the public response. More than $40 million, a single-day track record, was wagered on the meet-ending May 2 program including the Arkansas Derby, which was split into two divisions for the first time since 1960 to accommodate the rescheduled (Sept. 5) Kentucky Derby. Oaklawn-raced horses have won major events across the country since leaving Hot Springs with three main contenders for the Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4 (Fantasy Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver, Gamine and Speech) all running here on the final weekend.

Oaklawn in 2021 offers the richest purse structure in its 117-year history, perhaps exceeding $700,000 per day when released soon, said General Manager Wayne Smith.

The 2021 season, from Jan. 22-May 1, coincides with the opening of a multipurpose event center and a luxury 200-room hotel overlooking the track.

Louis Cella, Oaklawn's president, said in a release Wednesday, "We would not be able to once again offer record purses next year if it weren't for the tremendous support we've received from the Arkansas Racing Commission, the horsemen and our fans in 2020. We are excited to continue building on our 'New Level of Excellence,' which will include our new hotel, event center, state-of-the-art spa and additional restaurants, which are all on the schedule to open late 2020/early 2021."

Beneath the numbers, Oaklawn will raise 21 stakes next year by at least $25,000 with $150,000 bumps to the Essex Handicap ($500,000) March 13 and Oaklawn Mile ($400,000) April 10. The Razorback Handicap, which for its first February running attracted future 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, will be increased by $100,000 to $600,000 for its Feb 13 renewal.

In addition, all stakes, including those for state-bred horses, will be at least $150,000 each. The Rainbow and Rainbow Miss, both for Arkansas-bred 3-year-olds, are carded April 16. The $200,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship, for 3-year-olds and up, anchors the penultimate racing program April 30.

Five stakes are scheduled March 13 with the Temperence Hill, Hot Springs and Azeri joining the Essex Handicap and the Rebel. Oaklawn's Arkansas Derby undercard April 10 includes the Carousel and the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. Whitmore, a 7-year-old sprinter trained and co-owned by Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, has won the last four runnings of the Hot Springs and the last three of the Count Fleet, both records.

Pending certification by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, 11 Oaklawn stakes races are graded with Grade 1, the highest rating, to the Arkansas Derby and Apple Blossom Handicap. The Azeri, the Rebel and Oaklawn Handicap were Grade 2 and the Razorback Handicap, the Southwest, the Bayakoa, the Honeybee, the Fantasy and the Count Fleet Grade 3 in 2020.

Oaklawn will race four days a week, Thursday-Sunday, most of the season and also on Monday, Feb. 15, Presidents Day. Oaklawn will close April 4 to observe Easter Sunday.

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