Oaklawn Casino
In a state without a professional sports team, Oaklawn Park fills the competitive void nicely, thank you.
The roar from the grandstand one hears in any big race at Oaklawn is matched only in Arkansas at a football stadium or basketball arena where the Razorbacks are playing. If, say, a Smarty Jones or Whitmore -- a crowd favorite -- be competing, it's like Arkansas scored in the fourth quarter to beat the Texas Longhorns.
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The Thoroughbreds running at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort offer some of the most heart-stopping excitement you'll find in The Natural State. See the biggest names in racing battle it out at one of the nation's finest tracks from late January to early May. And, it's all located in the middle of historic and beautiful Hot Springs National Park.
Spring, summer, fall, winter and Oaklawn: They don't call it Arkansas' fifth season for nothing.
Ron Moquett, a Greenwood native who lives in Hot Springs, can see it all from his home just off the Oaklawn backstretch. On the eve of the 117th season of live racing at Oaklawn, Moquett had a good line on the racing habits of many Arkansas patrons.
'They're sitting at home, reading their racing forms and getting ready for the first day at Oaklawn,' he said.
The plant's official name of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort signifies changing times within the sport. It's come to include a 200-room hotel and convention center.
Although casino gambling appeals to many who might never place a bet, live racing represents the driving force of the operation. A day at the races is measured more by fan pleasure than profit made.
This is what the late Charles J. Cella passed on to son Louis, who begins his fourth season as Oaklawn's track president, a fourth-generation racing executive.
'We're still around,' says Cella. 'From generation to generation ... we have a philosophy that is very simple, but I think it is a formula that works. And that is, 'don't demagogue. Have a relationship with the horsemen. Do what's right and do what's best for the horse, period. And do what's best for the fan.'
Starting with a free gate and offering concessions lower than at most sporting events in America, Oaklawn is all about customer service.
'Our fans know they are going to have a very good time in a very comfortable environment,' Cella said in an interview with Louisville-based website Horse Racing Nation. 'It's a fun atmosphere. We sell fun. That's what we're doing. If we sell fun, the sport will follow because that's part of the run.'
Fans develop attachments with certain horses, some who point for the Oaklawn meeting. One such horse is 8-year-old Whitmore, who comes off a career-defining victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. Winning seven stakes over the track in five seasons, Whitmore has earned more than $4 million for an ownership group including the 48-year-old Moquett.
'I'm just glad he came into our barn,' Moquett said. 'I don't care if people don't know who I am.'
One day recently in a Hot Springs supermarket, Moquett spotted a patron wearing a Whitmore T-shirt that referred to Hot Springs and the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a local race Whitmore has won a record four times. 'Whitmore was his favorite horse,' Moquett said, 'and he said his wife had the shirt made for him for Christmas. He didn't know me from Adam. I asked him who trained the horse. He said, 'Damned if I know, he's just my favorite horse.'
Another beloved Oaklawn horse is Smarty Jones, the poster child of the track's 2004 centennial racing season. Charles Cella traveled to Pennsylvania to present the horse's owners a $5 million check for a three-race sweep including the Kentucky Derby and Arkansas Derby. The $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes today is one of four Oaklawn qualifying races for the 147th Kentucky Derby.
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Oaklawn's appeal cuts across party lines -- the late mother of former President Bill Clinton was a track regular; the late Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg once wore a hat from the Donald Trump collection: 'Make America Great Again.'
In short, it's a place to rejuvenate oneself, pump up tired blood. And it's geared for all ages.
'My energy is better here than any place where I go,' says 85-year-old Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas, back for another Oaklawn season after battling the COVID-19 virus in August. 'I think it's the air. I think it's the oxygen. What do they say? The trees filter the air. But I have more energy and go on less sleep here than any place I go. I've got a beautiful home in the woods in Kentucky, but I feel better here than any place. You see why people come here and retire.'
While other tracks postponed seasons or shortened dates, Oaklawn did not miss a day of live racing after the coronavirus pandemic began in March. Even with strict protocols in place for attendance, the track enjoyed a historic business day May 2 handling more than $41 million on a 14-race card including split runnings of the Grade 1 $500,000 Arkansas Derby.
'We've implemented the same protocols,' Cella said, 'with even a few more twists that we learned over the summer from other tracks and other professional sports. It is remarkable that, during our season last year, we did not have a single positive case. Not one.'
For his part in keeping Oaklawn open, Cella was named 2020 Sportsman of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
'We have an obligation not only to racing but to folks that are there at the track,' Cella said. 'At that time of year there are about 1,000 employees on the backstretch. We've got 1,500 of the very finest thoroughbreds in America. We've got our own employees. We've got an obligation to do what's right. We can't just turn the lights off and shut the door and say, 'Go home.' We have to do what's right for them, and that's what really swayed us to continue going.'
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Top horsemen from across the country are following the money to Hot Springs with Oaklawn projecting averaging daily purses of $700,000. 'It's the highest pure rate in America at this time of year,' Cella said, 'and it's a beacon -- a shining star for racing -- as it has been for a number of years.'
The circus is in town, so to speak, through May 1.
| Location | 2705 Central Avenue Hot Springs, AR 71901, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 34°29′06″N93°03′26″W / 34.484999°N 93.057096°W |
| Owned by | Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc. (Cella family) |
| Date opened | 1904 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Course type | Dirt |
| Notable races | Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) Arkansas Derby (G1) Oaklawn Handicap (G2) Fantasy Stakes (G2) Rebel Stakes (G2) Azeri Stakes (G2) Southwest Stakes (G3) Razorback Handicap (G3) Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) |
| Official website | |
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort,[1] formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track, is an Americanthoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to The Racing Festival of the South.[2]
In 2017, Oaklawn was ranked fifth among thoroughbred racetracks in North America by the Horseplayers Association of North America.[3]
In 2015, a pair of victories at Oaklawn put American Pharoah on the path to becoming American Horse of the Year and the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.
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History[edit]
Oaklawn Park opened on February 24, 1905. The city declared a holiday to mark the occasion, and more than 3,000 people attended the first day of racing. In its early years, the track ran six races a day, similar to British cards.
In 1907, political problems in the state forced the closure of Oaklawn. Both original business partners had died, so the closed track was sold, to Louis Cella. The track reopened in 1916 under the auspices of the Business Men's League of Hot Springs.
In 1918, Cella died, and the track passed to his brother, Charles. For the next few years, the track was opened and closed periodically because of vagaries in the state's political climate. When it was dominated by conservatives, there were efforts to close down the track, which was believed to attract risqué people.
In the 1929 Arkansas legislative session, a bill to allow horse racing and parimutuel betting came to a tie vote in the state House of Representatives. The only Republican member of the state House at the time, Osro Cobb of Montgomery County, had been out of the chamber when his name was called. Upon his return, Cobb cast the tie-breaking vote to allow racing and betting at the track.[4]
In the 1930s, the track and 'Spa' combined attracted many horse racing fans. In 1935, Oaklawn increased purses to become competitive with the best tracks across the country. The first Arkansas Derby was run in 1936 for a purse of $5,000. By this time, the track ran a 30-day race meeting. On October 29, 1940, Charles G. Cella died and the presidency of Oaklawn transferred to his son, John G. Cella (1909-1968). In 1941, purses again set Oaklawn records. By 1943, the Arkansas Derby had a purse of $10,000. Oaklawn stayed open in 1944, after most American tracks had closed because of World War II. It cancelled the spring season in 1945.
At the end of WWII, Oaklawn held a 30-day late-autumn-and-winter season; together with postwar exuberance and spending, it stimulated an unprecedented period of prosperity. This financed a major clubhouse renovation and a resurfacing of the track.
Throughout the 1950s, the track continued to climb in handle, attendance, and purses. In 1956, J. Sweeney Grant became manager of Oaklawn. In 1961, the track extended the season to 43 days. In 1962, the track notched the fifth-highest profit of North American tracks. By 1965, the Arkansas Derby was a $50,000 stakes that could attract top Kentucky Derby prospects. In 1968, Oaklawn president John G. Cella died suddenly and his son Charles J. Cella took over. Grant died in 1971, having led Oaklawn through 16 years of remarkable growth.
W. T. Bishop replaced Grant and the track continued to thrive. In 1972, the Arkansas Derby became a $100,000 stakes. The following year was the first for the running of the Fantasy Stakes, a prep race to the Kentucky Oaks. The Racing Festival of the South was created in 1974. The week-long festival has one stakes race each day, leading up to the Arkansas Derby.
In 1975, Oaklawn completed a renovation that added a five-level glass enclosure to the north end of the grandstand, near the top of the stretch. The addition included a general admission area, a 400-person box and 2,500 reserved seats, a kitchen, dining room, and private club.
In 1983, the all-time record handle was established. The track reached a goal of averaging $3 million in wagering every day. For the 56-day season, the handle amounted to $168,740,923, for an average of $3,013,230 a day. Attendance for the season was 1,303,223, representing a 23,272 daily average. That same year, the purse for the Arkansas Derby was increased to $250,000. In 1984, the purse was lifted to $500,000.
By 1985, three decades of prosperity began to reverse. Betting declined 8.1% and attendance declined by 3.7% compared to 1984. Increased competition from neighboring states, a lack of Sunday racing, and a lack of race days were blamed.
By 1990, the track was opened for races on Sundays, the grandstand had been enlarged, and attendance began to recover.
Two years later, races began timing in hundredths of seconds, rather than fifths, as with other race tracks around the world.
In 2004, to celebrate its 100th anniversary, Oaklawn Park offered a $5 million bonus to any horse that could sweep its three-year-old graded stakes, the Rebel Stakes and the Arkansas Derby, and also take the Kentucky Derby. Smarty Jones collected the bonus.[5]
In 2015, eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah began his Eclipse award-winning season with victories at Oaklawn in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby.[6][7]
Just before the 2018 season opened, Oaklawn unveiled a life-sized bronze sculpture of American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza at the grandstand's redesigned entrance.[8] The work, by Philadelphia sculptor James Peniston, had been commissioned two years earlier by Oaklawn president Charles Cella to memorialize the horse's victories at the Hot Springs track.[9]
Later in 2018, Oaklawn announced that it would start its 2019 racing season a few weeks later than usual, running from late January until early May, lasting the customary 57 days and ending on the day of the Kentucky Derby.[10] Among the reasons given for the change were spring weather conditions and January racing cancellations over the previous decade.[10]
Physical attributes[edit]
Oaklawn's dirt track is one mile in circumference, with a chute in the backstretch permitting sprint races at 6 furlongs.[11] Oaklawn, like a few other US racetracks, employs two finish lines. Since the distance from the main finish line to the start of the first turn is very short, races at one mile start and end at the 1/16th pole. This reduces the length of the stretch from the usual 1,155 feet[11] to 825 feet.
The original clubhouse was designed by Chicago architect Zachary Taylor Davis in 1904, who would later design Chicago's Old Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field. The track buildings have undergone many renovations, and updated barns provide stabling for the horses.
In 2008, Oaklawn began a $3 million addition to accommodate casino-style slot machines, poker tables, and an Instant Racing complex. The casino addition made Oaklawn the largest gambling facility in the state of Arkansas.
Casino[edit]
Oaklawn Casino Phone Number
The state of Arkansas does not allow traditional slot machines, so the casino has 'electronic games of skill', defined by section 10.17 of the Final Rules of the Arkansas Racing Commission Regulations for Franchise Holders Operating Electronic Games of skill as 'game(s) played through any electronic device or machine that affords an opportunity for the exercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone.' [12]
After Arkansas voters passed a bill to allow live gambling, Oaklawn added live tables.
Racing[edit]
Stakes races run at Oaklawn Park in 2019 during the Racing Festival of the South and the Oaklawn Park meet include:
Grade I
Grade II
Grade III
Non-graded stakes:
The track also runs numerous overnight handicaps and minor stakes during the Winter and Spring Meets.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Welcome to Oaklawn'. Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort - Oaklawn.com.
- ^'Oaklawn's Racing Festival of the South'. Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism - Arkansas.com.
- ^HANA January 2014 Ranking
- ^Osro Cobb, Osro Cobb of Arkansas: Memoirs of Historical Significance, Carol Griffee, ed. (Little Rock, Arkansas: Rose Publishing Company, 1989), p. 24
- ^'ESPN.com - Triple Crown 2004 - Oaklawn owner insured bonus two days before Derby'. espn.go.com. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ^Novak, Claire (March 14, 2015). 'American Pharoah Romps in Rebel'. The Blood-Horse. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^Novak, Claire (April 11, 2015). 'American Pharoah Impressive in Arkansas Derby'. The Blood-Horse. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^'Oaklawn Park Unveils American Pharoah Statue'. BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^'Oaklawn Park unveiling sculpture of 2015 Triple Crown winner'. USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
- ^ abCarroll, Scott (11 April 2018). 'Oaklawn shifts racing season for 2019'. katv.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ ab'Horsemen's Guide'. www.oaklawn.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^Final Rules of the Arkansas Racing Commission Regulations for Franchise Holders Operating Electronic Games of skill
External links[edit]
- Official website