Oaklawn total purses increased 20 percent, will average $900K per card
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Purses are set to average a record $900,000 a card during the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Dec. 8, the Hot Springs, Ark., track announced Wednesday. The 66-date meet will run through May 4.
The new level puts the value of maiden special weight races at $115,000 after being worth $90,000, and first-level allowances at $140,000 after being worth $105,000. The allowance categories will go up in value to $145,000, while the minimum purse will be $30,000.
Oaklawn’s total purse distribution for the upcoming season is projected to be $60 million, up 20 percent over last season’s $50 million. The track previously announced a stakes schedule worth a record $16.2 million, topped by the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby.
There are a number of factors driving growth at the 119-year-old facility, which in recent years has expanded its casino and built an ontrack hotel, event center, and spa.
“Our season purses will be three times greater than they were just 10 years ago,” Oaklawn president Lou Cella said in a press release. “And we’ve made sure it’s been across all levels of our racing product.
“We are proving that racing and gaming not only can coexist, but they can actually enhance each other.”
Oaklawn announced Wednesday it will also bring back a participation bonus program established last season with the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Owners will receive $200 for every starter during the season and trainers will receive $250 for any starter that fails to run first, second, or third.
Stall applications for the meet are due Oct. 5. The track will race Fridays through Sundays most weeks, with Thursday cards added in March and for some dates in April. Arkansas Derby Day is March 30.
“The stakes program draws a lot of attention and deservedly so,” Oaklawn general manager Wayne Smith said in a press release. “But the overnight races are the heart of our racing program. And it’s very gratifying to be able to lift purses across the board so that everyone racing with us benefits.”
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