Oaklawn meet opens Friday, attracts horses from across nation

Horses from Aqueduct to Del Mar have descended on Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., for the 65-date meet that opens Friday.

The season runs through Kentucky Derby Day, May 3.

Oaklawn drew the card for its opener the day after Thanksgiving and a swath of racing jurisdictions are represented among the 112 horses that were entered in 10 races. The first round of horses entered last raced on a variety of circuits - in 13 different states - coming from as far away as New York City and Southern California.

“I’ve got trainer after trainer asking me if I’ve got more stalls,” said Pat Pope, the longtime racing secretary at Oaklawn.

The track can house 1,450 horses. Pope said Oaklawn received requests for 2,300 stalls. He said the track allotted stalls to 110 different trainers.

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The entries for Friday also drew horses that last raced in Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Purses at the meet are projected to average more than $900,000 a card, according to Lou Cella, the president of Oaklawn. It’s one of the driving forces behind a season opener featuring six races that drew 12 or more runners. There are seven horses on also-eligible lists, with scratch time for this meet 10 a.m. Central on race day.

The $150,000 Advent for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs is the first feature of the meet. It’s slotted as the ninth race with Innovator the probable favorite for trainer D. Wayne Lukas and Kale’s Angel moving to dirt off a turf start at Del Mar for trainer Peter Miller.

Other highlights on the card include a second-level allowance for fillies and mares worth $131,000; a first-level allowance route for 3-year-olds and up worth $130,000; and a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies at a mile worth $110,000. The maiden race, which ends at the sixteenth pole, drew Ensorcell, a daughter of Apple Blossom winner On Fire Baby.

In a twist for opening day, the $55,000 Trail’s Beginning is a new race complementing the traditional Trail’s End that closes out each season at Oaklawn. The Trail’s Beginning is a $10,000 starter allowance over 1 3/16 miles and will make its debut as the 10th race on Friday.

The overnight purses and stakes program, coupled with the diverse circuits represented, are a recipe for another powerful winter racing season at Oaklawn.

“We feel like we’ve got the strongest meet for that period of time,” Pope said.

First post Friday is 12:30 p.m. Central. The forecast calls for a high of 46 degrees and partly cloudy skies, according to AccuWeather. Rick Lee will again set the morning line for Oaklawn, Pope said.

Oaklawn will race Friday and Saturday for its first weekend of the meet, then shift to a Friday through Sunday schedule most weeks. There is Monday racing on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17 and a special Thursday card on May 1. There is no racing on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, or Easter Sunday, April 20.

Arkansas Derby Day is March 29.

Oaklawn was to have drawn the card for Saturday’s races on Monday.

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