Juvenile racing gets revival

Oaklawn Park, in Hot Springs, Ark., will put on a nine-race card for its season opener Friday with a program that will include the track’s first 2-year-old races since 1973.

The moving of the meet to a December start date versus its traditional January opening has paved the way for some 2-year-old racing at the start of the new season. The seventh race is a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies over six furlongs, and the featured $150,000 Advent for 2-year-olds at the same distance goes as the eighth on Friday.

“It was exciting, the 2-year-old races we carded,” Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope said.

Oaklawn on Saturday drew a total of 88 horses for the first card of the meet, with five of the nine races luring 10 or more horses. The track is scheduled to race 66 dates through May 8.

“Our goal is to average nine horses per race,” Pope said.

Oaklawn is charting new territory with the earlier start date and Pope said that as of mid-afternoon Saturday there were 780 horses on the grounds. Earlier in the day, there were 690.

“The vans are really starting to roll in,” he said.

Oaklawn will race on a Friday through Sunday schedule most weeks, with a Monday card Feb. 21. The track has typically raced about 57 dates, running from January to mid-April. Oaklawn’s new calendar comes following the construction of a hotel that opened in spring 2021.

“We’re right at the maximum days we can race,” said Lou Cella, president of Oaklawn. “Under existing rules we can offer 66 days of racing. We’d have to jump through some hoops if we want to expand.”

Oaklawn has added some new stakes to its calendar with the “advent” of December racing. Along with the Advent, there’s the $150,000 Mistletoe for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday; the $150,000 Poinsettia for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 11; and the $200,000 Tinsel for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on Dec. 18.

“I came up with the names – kind of bring the holiday cheer to kick us off,” Cella said.

“We call them the holiday stakes, really trying to make it festive,” Pope said.

The field for the Advent includes B Sudd, who earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81 for a maiden special weight win over seven furlongs Oct. 31 at Churchill Downs. David Cabrera has the mount on the son of Jimmy Creed for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Oaklawn took entries for its Saturday card on Monday, and was to draw its Sunday card on Tuesday. Pope said the races will be drawn on Zoom, but they also will be open to those who wish to watch live. This is a policy change from last meet, when Oaklawn, like other tracks, had Zoom-only draws to reduce traffic through the racing office during the pandemic.

Pope said the top 20 trainers in the standings at the last Oaklawn meet all are expected to return for the new season. They include Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, and Robertino Diodoro. There were 21 journeymen confirmed for the meet through Saturday, plus a few apprentice riders, Pope said.

Pope said horsemen have been supportive of the extended racing schedule at Oaklawn, which is good for Arkansas.

“I would say we’re hoping, economically, for Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas, that this will really help, get people living here longer,” Pope said. “Trainers, basically, can live here six months a year.”

As for Friday’s offering of 2-year-old racing at Oaklawn, it will be a first for many to experience.

“I’ve only ever heard David Whited and Jimmy Garroutte talk about it,” Pope said of the former jockeys who decades ago rode in 2-year-old races at Oaklawn.

First post Friday is 12:30 p.m. Central.