Oaklawn business brisk through season midpoint

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park reached the halfway point of its meet Saturday, and an agreeable stretch of weather, record purses, and frantic claiming have been the hallmarks of the season that will continue through Arkansas Derby Day on April 16. The track also has put up strong handle and attendance numbers, while field size is averaging 9.82 runners a race.

“I think the first half of the meet’s gone great,” said David Longinotti, director of racing for Oaklawn. “We couldn’t have asked for better weather, from opening day through the most recently raced day on Sunday. We’ve lost one day only after losing seven the year before. That’s a blessing.”

Oaklawn provided business figures for the first half of this year’s meet and comparable numbers from 2015 at the request of Daily Racing Form. The track, which puts on a 57-date meet, was able to race 27 of its first 28 dates this year but just 24 of its first 28 in 2015. The numbers represent business through Saturday.

Oaklawn handled a total of $82.5 million on its live races for the first half of this year’s meet, 9 percent more than the $76 million during the corresponding period in 2015. Handle on the track’s live races has averaged $3,057,523 a program, lagging 3 percent behind last year’s halfway-point number of $3,168,348.

The difference at this stage in the meet is offtrack business. Oaklawn is handling an average of $2,421,566 a day on its races offsite, as opposed to $2,582,216 a program at the halfway point in 2015.

“There was one kind of peculiar incident last year,” Longinotti said. “There was a dispute between the Mid-Atlantic tracks and the Monarch tracks. We were one of the very few [signals] up and down the East Coast. [And] the averages are spread over 27 days this year compared to 24 last year.”

Oaklawn ontrack is handling an average of $635,956 a day on its races, 9 percent higher than the average of $586,131 during the same period in 2015.

The figures are proof of strong attendance. Oaklawn, which began offering free attendance in 2015, has drawn an estimated 237,650 patrons through Saturday, for an average of 8,802 per program. Those numbers are up a respective 31 percent and 16 percent over the corresponding period in 2015.

“People get out when the weather’s good,” said Longinotti.

The horse population has shown up, too. Field size is running 2 percent higher than the 9.64 at the halfway point of the meet in 2015.

“I think our racing office has been doing a great job on field size,” Longinotti said. “Sometimes that’s hard to do when you’re trying to write and fill more allowance races and maiden special weights. Sometimes it’s more difficult to keep that field size up, and I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to do that.”

Purses have been at a high point as well, with Oaklawn’s distribution averaging $397,915 a card through the first half of the season to run 17 percent ahead of last year’s $339,888 at the halfway point. Longinotti looks for numbers to approach an average of $500,000 a program by season’s end. He noted that the meet’s richest stakes are still to be run and said there is a good chance that a second purse increase this season will be announced by the end of March.

Claiming continues to be a popular sport at Oaklawn, where 243 horses have been claimed for receipts of $3.6 million through Saturday. Those figures are up a respective 27 percent and 28 percent from the first half of 2015. Longinotti said there have been a total of 669 claims dropped, or processed, at this meet – all of this with a 9.5 percent tax above the claiming price that goes to state, county, and city coffers in Arkansas.

Ricardo Santana Jr. is the leading rider at the halfway point of the meet, with 36 wins and mount earnings of $1.2 million. Ron Moquett led all trainers in wins with 16 from 73 starts through Saturday, while Danny Caldwell ranked as the leading owner with 10 wins from 65 starts through Saturday.

Oaklawn now moves into the strongest half of its meet, with its two biggest days on the horizon, starting with three stakes worth a total of $1.6 million on Rebel Stakes Day, March 19.

“Arkansas Derby Day is always our No. 1 business day, and Rebel Day is typically No. 2,” said Longinotti.

◗ Carmen’s Picture earned a double bonus Jan. 31, when she won a $10,000 maiden-claiming race at Oaklawn. She’s back in the entries Thursday. Carmen’s Picture earned a $5,000 bonus as an Arkansas-bred defeating open company and picked up an additional 10 percent of the winner’s share of the purse for a victory without Lasix. The bonus was worth about $1,260, trainer Gary Hartlage said. “It was a pretty good deal,” he said. “We’re going to try again Thursday.”