Oaklawn builds up ’ 17 stakes schedule
Long known for its 3- year- old stakes schedule, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs has turned its attention to beefing up the opportunity to attract top older horses as well.
In its 2017 stakes schedule unveiled Thursday, Oaklawn has 31 stakes races totaling $ 8.25 million in purses. Several established events for older horses received healthy purse increases.
“We’ve become known for attracting the best 3- yearolds in the nation.” David Longinotti, Oaklawn’s director of racing, said in a statement. “Now we want to complement that by attracting the best older horses, too. And not just for the Oaklawn Handicap. We want our fans to be able to see them in February and maybe they’ll get to see them again in March and April.”
In an effort to offer a lucrative alternative to horses looking for a race in advance of the Dubai World Cup on March 25, Oaklawn increased the purse for the 1 1/ 16- mile Grade III Razorback Handicap for horses 4- years- old and up from $ 350,000 to $ 500,000. It also was moved from March to Feb. 20, where it will share the card with the Grade III $ 500,000 Southwest Stakes, which also covers 1 1/ 16 miles for 3- year- olds.
The purse for the Essex Handicap ( 1 1/ 16 miles for 4- year- olds and up) was increased from $ 100,000 to $ 250,000. It was moved to March 18, where it will share the card with the