Oaklawn Park Live Racing Starts January 18

Posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Live racing in Oaklawn Park at Hot Springs, Arkansas kicks off January 18 as their 56-Day Live 2008 Thoroughbred Meet gets under way. The historic facility, which has a traditional dirt surface, first hosted racing in 1905.

Racing at Oaklawn Park in 2008 starts with a four-day weekend, highlighted by three-year-old racing through, through Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, January 21 where a Smarty Jones Bobble Horse will be given away.

This year’s three-year-old crop at Oaklawn will highlight the opening day, January 18, card at 5 1/2 furlongs in the $50,000 Dixieland Stakes. The inaugural running of the $50,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at one mile will be on Monday, January 21. The race is named in honor of the colt who captured the hearts of the nation and Oaklawn’s $5 million Centennial Bonus in 2004, the Smarty Jones Stakes may be the first look at serious Arkansas Derby candidates.

Three of Oaklawn’s major horse races, the Southwest Stakes (gr. III) at 1 mile, Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at 1 1/16 miles, and Arkansas Derby (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles, will certainly be the most significant events for 3-year-olds and the response is expected to be strong. These three horse races are important Kentucky Derby prep races.

The $250,000 Southwest Stakes will be the featured on Presidents Day, Monday, February 18. Southwest was recently designated to a Grade 3 horse race by the Graded Stakes Committee which means the money earned by horses in this race will count towards eligibility to start in the Kentucky Derby in May.

This year’s Rebel Stakes with a purse of $300,000 is scheduled for Saturday, March 15. Racing fans will not forget the 2007 Rebel Stakes, since it was the first stakes effort by eventual Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year favorite, Curlin.

Oaklawn’s three-year-old centerpiece event is the $1 million Arkansas Derby, which will be run on Saturday, April 12. Curlin’s record 10 1/2 lengths win last year was an awesome show of his incredible talent, but also served to further establish the Arkansas Derby as the most important event leading up to the Triple Crown races of the Spring.

With the past four Arkansas Derby winners all turning out to be champion-level competitors, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Lawyer Ron and Curlin, clearly all eyes of the nation will focus on the three-year-olds produced at the track this year.

The first 3-year-old filly race of the year will be the $50,000 Dixie Belle at 6 furlongs on Saturday, January 26 followed by the 1 mile $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes on February 17. Graded stakes competition for the young ladies will start with the $100,000 Honeybee at 1 1/16 miles on March 16, and conclude with the $250,000 Fantasy also at 1 1/16 miles on April 6, as part of the Racing Festival of the South.

For older horses, the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles and the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at 1 1/16 miles will both be held April 5. Last year’s Oaklawn Handicap and Apple Blossom Handicap were won by Lawyer Ron and Ermine, respectively.

Racing at Oaklawn Park runs from January 18 through April 12. Live racing occurs Thursday through Sunday until March 19, when Wednesday racing is added to the schedule. Information on the upcoming meet and special holiday racing dates may be found on the Oaklawn Park official web site.

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"Oaklawn Park Live Racing Starts January 18" was posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 7:03 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Kentucky Derby, Oaklawn Park, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, Triple Crown, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.