Maker has 20 horses at Oaklawn

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Mike Maker is a new face this meet at Oaklawn, having set up a 20-horse division.

Maker joked that his stable at Oaklawn, which does not have a grass course, is “very turf heavy.”

Bringing horses to Oaklawn was appealing for a couple of reasons, said Maker.

“I’ve got some great clients that live in Arkansas that like to race there,” he said. “The purses don’t hurt, either.”

Maker’s clients include Arkansas resident Michael Hui, whose Zula Alpha won the Grade 1, $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. Hui also is a co-owner in Exulting, the winner of last year’s $250,000 Oaklawn Mile who, Maker said, is part of the division in Arkansas.

Surface refreshed at Oaklawn

Oaklawn Park’s track was wet, but well received by horsemen, over its first three dates of racing last week. During the off season the surface underwent its traditional maintenance, including checking the base for any fractures and making sure the surface is uniform from the rail out.

“As we’ve done every year for the last number of years, we picked up the entire cushion to remix it and rescreen it and replace it,” said Lou Cella, the president of Oaklawn. “But more importantly, it lets our trackman, Kevin Seymour, and Mick Peterson, a key consultant, inspect our base. Because we take all the cushion off to remix it, it gives us the luxury to walk the track in its entirety.

“It’s 1,000 truckloads of dirt to take it all out and bring it all in.”

The project takes nearly the entire off season, with the surface laid back down 45 days before horses start arriving in November, said Cella.

Sports betting adds new wrinkle

Oaklawn introduced sports betting in its gaming center late last meet, so it’s something of a new wrinkle for the track this season. Wayne Smith, the general manager at Oaklawn, placed the first bet during a ceremony last spring.

“The sports book has done as well as we could have ever hoped for,” Smith said. “We’ve seen folks coming in we haven’t seen before. We believe sports betting along with the horse racing will complement each other very well.”

◗ Answer In remains on deck for the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17 at Oaklawn, said trainer Brad Cox. He was second last out in the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.