Oaklawn trades chilly race days for warmer weather
Oaklawn will trade January race days for warmer weather in May beginning in 2019, starting the live meet on Jan. 25 and ending on May 4, the day of the Kentucky Derby, Oaklawn President Louis Cella announced Wednesday.
The $1 million Arkansas Derby will still be held in mid-April, but racing will continue for the next three weeks.
An Oaklawn news release said the only other instance of the race track changing its schedule was in 1945 “when the track had to postpone its season until the fall of that year because of wartime restrictions.”
The meet traditionally concludes with the Arkansas Derby, which in modern times has been held in mid-April, the release said.
“Like so many tracks that focus on, and believe in tradition — and Oaklawn believes in tradition as it is extremely important to us — we’re going to create a new one starting next year in 2019,” Cella told a group of patrons and community leaders gathered on the grandstand Wednesday for the annual Arkansas Derby draw.
“Working with our horsemen, with the support of the Hot Springs hospitality community, and thanks to the leadership of
Alex Lieblong, the chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission, just moments ago the commission approved what might be the most significant change in our racing schedule in Oaklawn’s 115-year history,” he said.
Cella said that instead of closing the meet in early April, Oaklawn will “continue to run live racing through and up to the first Saturday in May, the same day the Kentucky Derby will be run May 4.
“There is no more beautiful time to enjoy racing than springtime in Arkansas, and what that permits us to do is to trade out a few weeks of winter racing in January for a few weeks of springtime racing in late April and early May,” he said. “It will be the same 57-day season that we have run in the past, and the Arkansas Derby will continue to be the pinnacle of our season, running in its traditional spot three weeks before the Kentucky Derby.
“But now, for our fans, for our horsemen, for our employees, and for our community the Oaklawn live racing experience will be a part of the Kentucky Derby experience that we’ve always enjoyed here in Hot Springs. We are convinced that with better weather this will create better racing and a better racing environment for all of us to enjoy.”
Cella said “as has been the case with so many of Oaklawn’s innovations we’ve implemented over the years, we’re convinced that this will place Oaklawn on the cusp of a new racing era in Arkansas.”
Cella told The Sentinel-Record Oaklawn wanted to make a change based on what would be best for the local economy, and took into consideration the insight from Visit Hot Springs and locals in the hospitality industry, as well as fans and horsemen when making the decision.
“Frankly it’s all about the weather and we spoke to an awful high number of hospitality industry representatives from hotels to restaurants, to (Visit Hot Springs CEO) Steve Arrison,” he said. “We wanted to make sure this was right for the city of Hot Springs. This was not just a one-dimensional decision just for Oaklawn. This is for our horsemen, it really is for our fans and what they want.”
Cella said fans and horsemen have wanted to start later and “get out of January.”
“So many of our fans really move here for the season and when they get in here in early January to rent a condo, it’s
tough for them,” he said. “And then we, of course, talked to our horsemen and they were delighted with it. Absolutely delighted with it. So a lot of facets.”
The addition of live racing three weeks leading up to and on the same day of the Kentucky Derby will add a new aspect to Oaklawn racing, according to Racing Director David Longinotti.
“We’re going to have to put some decent races there to keep the crowds coming back,” he said. “I really believe that live racing on a Kentucky Derby day, for anyone who is live racing out there away from Churchill (Downs), is a huge day for them. So we’ll be able to turn that into a very good day as well. A really fun day. There’s a lot of things we can do that will be very entertaining for our patrons on that day.”
Arrison said with January being a traditionally slow time of year for visitation in Hot Springs, this is an exciting announcement for the city and for racing fans.
“Everybody I’ve talked to is real excited about it,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to trade those early, terrible days of January for great days at the end of April and first of May? I think it’s just a great move by Oaklawn, I’m sure one that will be most appreciated by the hospitality industry of Hot Springs. And of Arkansas for that matter.”
Arrison said Hot Springs can’t thank the Cella family enough for making this change.
“Big thank you to the Cella family for making this change,” he said. “It’s going to really make an impact on our local economy. Having live racing on the day of the Kentucky Derby will just add another great weekend for people to look forward to next year.”
As for this weekend’s Arkansas Derby, Arrison said there are still available rooms throughout the city for those looking to spend the weekend at the track.
“There’s still hotel rooms available and it’s still a little early — we’ve still got a couple days to go,” he said. “I think the weather’s supposed to be wonderful on Saturday so hopefully everybody will come down to watch some of the best horses in the world run.”