Purses on rise for 2014

Maiden special weights races at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs will be worth $55,000 when the 2014 live meeting begins Jan. 10.

The figure represents a $2,000 increase from the start of the 2013 meeting and is $15,000 higher than the start of the 2012 meeting.

Oaklawn also has raised allowance races from $54,000 to $56,000, and the minimum purse for claiming races has been increased from $15,500 to $17,000.

Overnight purses for all categories have been raised at least $1,000, said David Longinotti, Oaklawn’s director of racing.

Raising overnight purses follows significant hikes previously announced for Oaklawn’s 31-race stakes schedule in 2014. Purses for 19 stakes races were raised, with all open events now worth at least $100,000.

The increases are being fueled by continued brisk business involving electronic skill-based games at the track.

The first condition book for the 2014 meeting is now available at oaklawn.com.

Final furlong

Dunkin Bend, the

2-year-old stakes-winning Dunkirk colt, will “probably” make his next start in the $500,000 Grade I Champagne Stakes on Oct. 5 at Belmont Park in New York, owner Mike Langford of Jonesboro said. The $200,000 Grade II Futurity on Sept. 29 at Belmont is also under consideration, Langford said, adding the Champagne is a more likely option because the race is a week later and it would allow trainer Steve Asmussen to stretch the colt out for the first time. The Champagne is a mile. Dunkin Bend has won 2 of 3 career starts, including last Sunday’s $100,000 Grade III Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. … Brown Almighty has resumed training with trainer Mike Stidham at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., co-owner Richard Robertson of Camden said. The 3-year-old stakes-winning son of Big Brown is pointing for a fall return after being turned out for 90 days. Brown Almighty had been trained by Tim Ice, but Robertson said he decided the colt needed a change. Robertson still has horses with Ice, including Mighty Brown, who, as a maiden, ran second in Saturday’s $100,000 Sunday Silence Stakes for 2-yearolds at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La. … Texas Bling, in his first published workout since finishing eighth in the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 13, breezed a halfmile in :50.53 on Saturday morning at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.