Oaklawn opening-day runners have come from far and wide

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., long has lured horses from a large swath of jurisdictions and that again will be the case for the meet that gets under way Friday. The nine-race opener has drawn runners who last raced in New York, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Delaware, New Mexico, and even Chile.

There are a total of 87 horses in the nine races, making for an average of 9.6 entrants per race. There also are five horses on also-eligible lists. It’s a roaring start to a 68-date season that will race primarily three days a week through May 6.

Oaklawn typically draws about 40 percent of its horse population from Kentucky, according to racing secretary Pat Pope. But just days before the track’s first round of entries on Saturday it was announced Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., was locking down its stable area due to five cases of equine herpesvirus. Despite the development, which came on the heels of the Kentucky meet’s closing, horses who last raced at Churchill accounted for the largest number of entrants for opening day at Oaklawn.

There are 20 coming off fall-meet starts at Churchill, and another two who had been working at the Kentucky track in November. Oaklawn appears to have had time in its favor. The track opened its stable area Nov. 1, and runners from a number of meets, including Churchill, shipped in steadily throughout the month. There were 870 on the grounds the morning of Nov. 30, according to Pope.

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The Oaklawn opener also drew eight horses who last raced in the fall at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. The most prominent member of that group is Tyler’s Tribe, who moves back to dirt for the $150,000 Advent Stakes after suffering the first defeat of his career in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Oklahoma accounted for the second largest number of entrants for the Oaklawn opener, with 15 horses on the card having last raced at Remington Park. The Oklahoma City track closes Dec. 17.

The Advent, which is for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs, is the first of 45 stakes worth a record $13.7 million this meet. The race drew nine horses, including How Did He Do That, winner of the Zia Park Juvenile in Hobbs, N.M.

Steve Asmussen, who trains How Did He Do That, will come out running with entrants in seven races Friday. Trainer Robert Cline has the second-most horses entered, with runners in five races.

In a notable absence, Oaklawn’s perennial leading jockey, Ricardo Santana Jr., will sit out the first week of the meet due to a suspension for a riding infraction. Santana will be wintering at Oaklawn and is set to see action the second week of the meet, according to agent Jimmy Riccio Jr.

Pope said first post this meet has been changed slightly to 12:30 p.m. Central. He said initial plans are to card nine races a day, with 10 on select Saturdays and more on major race dates like Arkansas Derby Day.

The forecast for Friday is a high of 60 degrees and partly sunny conditions, according to AccuWeather.

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