Oaklawn announces several purse increases for final month

Oaklawn on Sunday announced an overnight purse increase for the final month of the meet that will push the value of maiden special weights to $80,000 from the current $72,000, while allowances will be worth as much as $84,000 from the previous level of $76,000.

The increases will begin with the Rebel Day program on Saturday.

Oaklawn will put on 11 races on Rebel Day, with the Grade 2, $900,000 race anchoring a program that also includes the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri and $250,000 Essex Handicap. Nominations for the races were released Saturday, with weights for the Essex due out Sunday.

In other purse increases, starter allowances and claiming races with a tag of $30,000 or more, including maidens, will all be boosted by $2,000 each. Oaklawn also has raised the purse of its Trail’s End, the 1 3/4-miles final race of the meet now worth $55,000 after being worth $50,000.

“For 113 years, Oaklawn’s motto has been ‘racing comes first,’” Wayne Smith, assistant general manager at Oaklawn, said in a press release. “Our gaming operation exists to create a vibrant racing product. This year, we have benefited from strong business in racing and gaming, which is allowing us to increase purses during the season for the ninth consecutive year – that’s an exceptional run.”

Oaklawn has the highest purse structure in the nation at this time of year, according to the press release from the track. During the first half of the 57-date meet the track had paid out more than $12 million in purses compared to $10.7 million during the same period in 2016, according to figures provided by Oaklawn Director of Racing David Longinotti.

Oaklawn races through 2017.