Less than a week remains until Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort returns for its second December race meet, and over 800 horses are already stabled and training for a season that has already set at least two records.
Oaklawn is adding nine new stakes races to the schedule, including three in December. The addition brings the season to a record 45 stakes races over the 68-day season as well as a record $13.45 million in purses for the stakes with an estimated $50 million in overall purses for the season.
"We have nine new races, nine new stakes races," Jennifer Hoyt, Oaklawn's Director of Racing, said. "Three will make their debut in December, including for the first time ever, we are going to have a race card devoted to 2-year-olds. Dec. 31 will be devoted to 2-year-olds. The entire ... card will be 2-year-olds, and that day we have the Renaissance Stakes and the Year's End Stakes, and they're both worth $150,000.
"The other new stake is Ring the Bell. That is going to be opening Saturday, Dec. 10. ... Last year we started a new program called the Bell Program where if you win a race and you're a winning owner, you can ring the bell and donate at least $100 to thoroughbred aftercare, so we're really excited about bringing awareness to that cause with the Ring the Bell Stakes."
In addition to the three $150,000 stakes in December, the track is introducing the $250,000 Matron on March 31, the $250,000 Hot Springs on April 1, the $150,000 Valley of the Vapors on April 22, the $150,000 Dig a Diamond on April 29, the $150,000 Lake Ouachita on May 5 and the $150,000 Lake Hamilton on May 6, the final day of racing for the season.
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Last year, the track had four weekends of racing in December, but with many tracks wrapping up their meets the first weekend of December, the track made the decision to trim the opening month to three weekends of racing.
"It started off slow because the horsemen were still at other locations," Hoyt said. "This year, they have an extra week to get here. Last year, we opened Dec. 3, I believe; this year we're open Dec. 9. ... I think there'll be more excitement from the horsemen when we get here because there'll be more people on the grounds ready to race."
One of the biggest challenges for the track has been making sure fans are aware of the extra month of racing.
"I think the biggest challenge is just getting people aware that we're opening in December," Hoyt said. "People are just so used to us opening in mid-January that they don't have that mindset, 'Oh my gosh, it's December. Oaklawn's opening,' and trying to get them, especially the local people here. They're just so used to that tradition."
Trainers and jockeys are definitely aware of the earlier start, Hoyt said.
"The horsemen love it," she said. "They don't have that long gap anymore between ... end of November and mid-January where the tracks are over and they're just sitting here idle. They love being able to come right in from Kentucky and Oklahoma and start racing within a couple of weeks, so they love that."
The track has also drawn new jockeys and trainers for the upcoming meet.
"We have 12 new trainers coming in from all over the country, even Toronto, Canada," she said. "We have a lot of new jockeys coming in this year."
Rafael Bejarano, a top rider out of Kentucky, will be among the jockeys at this year's meet. While he has not made the track his home, the 40-year-old Peruvian has won a few stakes races at the park, including the Arkansas Derby twice (Overanalyze in 2013, Papa Clem in 2009), the Rebel Stakes (Secret Circle, 2013) and the Southwest Stakes three times (Super Ninety Nine in 2013, Castaway and Secret Circle in 2012).
"He's been here for stakes races," Hoyt said. "People will know the name."
There will also be a big lineup of female jockeys at this year's meet.
"We're gonna have almost eight female jockeys this year," Hoyt said. "That's going to be huge. We've got Chel-c Bailey, Kelsi Harr, Kylee Jordan, who's up for the Eclipse Award this year as the apprentice jockey. They are going to be our staples, but there's gonna be four or five other female jockeys, including Mickaelle Michel, who's new this year, all coming in."
Riley Mott, son of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, is among a handful of new trainers coming to Oaklawn for the season as well, but there are also plenty of big-name trainers returning.
"People are coming back from California," Hoyt said. "John Sadler, who just won the (Grade 1 Longines) Breeders Cup Classic with Flightline, will have a couple of stalls here. Peter Miller, from California, again obviously our big staples, Brad Cox, Steve Asmussen. We're really looking forward to a big season."