The stable area at Oaklawn Park has been filling up quicker than past meets and the horse population is reflected in entries for the Arkansas track’s opening weekend cards Friday and Saturday. Oaklawn drew 109 horses for its 10-race card Friday, with four runners listed as also-eligibles for various races. The track will put on another 10 races Saturday with 121 horses entered, including nine also-eligibles. Oaklawn had more than 900 horses already on the grounds in the days leading up to the first day of entries last Friday, according to track president Lou Cella. “There’s more horses on the backside than we’ve had this time of year,” he said. Oaklawn will run stakes both Friday and Saturday. The $150,000 Advent for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs on Friday drew a field of 12. The lineup includes Spirit’s Mischief, a Kentucky shipper from the barn of trainer Wesley Ward. The Saturday stakes features the $150,000 Ring the Bell for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs and the $150,000 Mistletoe for fillies and mares at one mile. Ryvit, the winner of the Steel Valley Sprint last month at Mahoning Valley, was supplemented to the Ring the Bell by trainer Steve Asmussen. The field of 11 for the Mistletoe includes multiple stakes winner Butterbean. Julien Leparoux has the mount for trainer Kenny McPeek. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Leparoux is a new face in the riding colony, while Ramon Vazquez will be returning to winter at Oaklawn after spending the last year and a half riding in Southern California. Cristian Torres is back to defending his riding title at Oaklawn. Robertino Diodoro, who won last season’s training title at Oaklawn, is noticeably missing from entries. He is serving a suspension that covers the first two weekends of racing. Diodoro was suspended for an excess of carbon dioxide in a starter last season at Oaklawn. One of his assistants, Sean Williams, is named as the trainer of record for the Diodoro-trained stakes winners Lovely Ride and Adaline Julia in the Mistletoe. Diodoro will be back in the entries on Dec. 29 following the Christmas break at Oaklawn. Other staples missing from the entries include jockey David Cabrera, the title winner in 2022-23, who is rehabbing from injuries sustained in a race earlier this year at Remington Park. Harry Hernandez, a newcomer to the riding colony, will miss the first two weekends of the meet. He broke a collarbone working a horse in late November at Remington. “He had surgery, I believe last Tuesday, and is supposed to be out four weeks,” said agent Cody Autrey. “He’s coming to Oaklawn, on Dec. 8. He’ll rehab here, miss the first five days, and should be back after the Christmas break. I’m thinking Jan. 1.” Hernandez won the title at Canterbury Park and ranked among the leading riders at Remington. A notable new owner-trainer team in the entries opening weekend is Kevin Horton and trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. Horton races as Willis Horton Racing in honor of his late father. Milligan has a number of promising young runners for the barn as the operation’s private trainer and some are entered in maiden special weight races Friday and Saturday. Purses for maiden races are a track-record $115,000. First post Friday and Saturday is 12:30 p.m. Central. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.