Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has increased overnight purses $10,000 a day in a move that began with Thursday's 10-race card. Purses will now average approximately about $310,000 a program, according to David Longinotti, the track's assistant general manager of racing.

The distribution level is a record for the track. The increase is attributed in part to the success of Oaklawn's expanded gaming center, which opened this winter. In addition, handle and attendance levels are contributing to the increase, which comes at the halfway point of the meet.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - As part of its objective to cut $4.3 million in stakes purses from last year, the New York Racing Association trimmed a total of approximately $1.4 million from its stakes program for the Belmont spring/summer and Saratoga meetings, according to a schedule that was released Thursday.

BLINKERS ON, BLINKERS OFF

The shades just weren't for Win Willy. So for the Grade 3, $150,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn on Saturday, trainer Mac Robertson plans to remove blinkers. He would like to see another big stretch run from the horse a la his 56-1 upset in last year's Grade 2 Rebel, and he believes the blinkers that were added two races ago might be inhibiting Win Willy's style.

WHO'S HOT

Speed on the turf has been deadly. All five grass races last week at one mile were won by the pacesetters; the last three weeks, nine of the 14 grass races at one mile were won by horses that led at every call. Does the trend constitute a bias? Well, maybe. Most winners "figured" - the four most-recent winners paid $7.60 or less; three were favored.

WHO'S HOT

Fernando Jara

After winning four races in January, the 22-year-old comeback kid doubled that total with eight wins in February, capped by a front-running score aboard Lights Off Annie ($15.60) in last Sunday's Broadway Stakes, and cracked the top 10 in the standings.

Freud (by default)

WHO'S HOT

Javier Castellano

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - There have been limited sightings of D. Wayne Lukas-trained horses during Aqueduct's winter meeting the last few years. But with the chance to get a 3-year-old on the Triple Crown trail, Lukas has shipped Wow Wow Wow to New York for Saturday's Grade 3, 250,000 Gotham Stakes.

One horse definitely off the Kentucky Derby trail is William's Kitten, who rallied to finish third in the Grade 3 Holy Bull. Trainer Mike Maker reports that William's Kitten suffered an ankle injury while training up to the Fountain of Youth and has been sent to owner Ken Ramsey's farm in Kentucky.

"It's nothing major but we sent him to the farm last week," said Maker. "We've been sitting all this time waiting to get a mile and one eighth race for him and this happens."

Buddy's Saint resumes training

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Saturday's Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes looked like a perfect spot for proven turf horses such as Lentenor and Interactif. Instead, their trainers decided to pass the race and wait for a different spot and perhaps a surface switch for their talented 3-year-olds.

Remington Park's first meet under new owner Global Gaming, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation, will get started Friday night with a 12-race card of trials for Quarter Horses. The 50-date season will run through May 31.