Oaklawn Park report

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Oaklawn increases its purses

HOT SPRINGS - Oaklawn Park, citing strong business, announced its second purse increase of the season Friday, a bump that will make its maiden special weights events equal to any track in the country currently running.

The latest increase, effective with Thursday’s nine-race card, moves maiden special weights races from $57,000 to a record $60,000.

Aqueduct in New York also offers $60,000 purses for maiden special weights runners.

“That ain’t bad,” Oaklawn director of racing David Longinotti said.

The level at Oaklawn remains higher than Santa Anita in suburban Los Angeles ($56,000) and Gulfstream Park in suburban Miami ($47,000).

Oaklawn began the 2012 meeting with maiden special weights races worth $40,000.

They were worth $53,000 and $55,000, respectively, to open the 2013 and 2014 meetings.

“Isn’t that amazing?” Oaklawn General Manager Eric Jackson said.

Jackson said robust business last week - on and off track - fueled the second increase, which covers all overnight races. Jackson said Oaklawn was up 28 percent over the corresponding period last year, a week highlighted by the highest attendance (25,622) and ontrack handle ($1,525,040.30) of the meeting Monday.

Off-track handle is running significantly higher than last year, a spike coinciding with Oaklawn’s races returning to TVG, the Los Angeles-based horse racing channel, and the introduction of OaklawnAnywhere, the track’s new advance deposit wagering site that allows Arkansas residents to betthrough an Internet site.

Oaklawn’s purses also are supplemented substantially by revenue generated from continued booming business involving electronic skill based games at the track.

“We’re trying to get a good jump to the second half of the season,” Jackson said of the latest purse increase.

In addition to the maiden special weights events, races with a claiming price of $20,000 or less will receive a $500 purse increase.

All other overnight races will increase by $3,000, including open allowance events. Those races are moving from $60,000 to $63,000.

The minimum purse will increase from $17,500 to $18,000.

Oaklawn raised purses by as much as $2,000 for all of its overnight races, beginning Feb. 13, and increased the value of the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap on April 11 and Grade II Oaklawn Handicap on April 12 from $500,000 to $600,000.

The $600,000 purse for the Apple Blossom is a record.

Jackson said the initial purse increase was based on strong January business and redistribution of purse money lost when racing was canceled Feb. 2 and Feb. 6-9 because of winter weather.

Oaklawn’s live season ends April 12.

Claim wars

Trainer Ed Frederick’s claim of Blockout for $12,500 in Friday’s ninth race was voided after the 4-year-old gelding pulled up shortly after the start of the mile race for $12,500 maiden claimers.

A protective boot was applied to Blockout’s left front leg, and he was taken off the track in the horse ambulance.

State steward Stan Bowker said the injury isn’t believed to be life-threatening.

Stewards automatically void claims if the claimed horse is fatally injured during the race, or removed from the track in the horse ambulance.

Claimants, however, can keep the horse if they wish by notifying stewards within 15 minutes after the race is declared official.

Bowker said Frederick didn’t want the horse.

Today’s feature

High-percentage trainer Brad Cox is scheduled to saddle Ms Anna Destiny in today’s $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for older fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Ms Anna Destiny will be seeking her third stakes victory since Cox claimed the mare for $32,000 on May 11 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“She just had some back class,” said Cox, who is 7 of 32 at the meeting. “She had some good speed figures.

She ran a good race the day we claimed her, and we didn’t really change a whole lot.”

Ms Anna Destiny, in her final start last year, won the $61,000 Dream Supreme Stakes on Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs. Miss Anna Destiny opened her 2014 campaign with a third-place finish in the $100,000 American Beauty Stakes on Jan. 25.

Cox said he’s “much more confident” about Ms Anna Destiny’s chances today because the American Beauty was run on what he called an “inconsistent” surface.

“Her works leading up to the American Beauty weren’t bad, but they weren’t typical of her because the track was so deep,” Cox said. “The day she ran, I thought the track was a little deep, too. She’ll be sharper Saturday than she was for the American Beauty.”

Ms Anna Destiny is 9-2 on the morning line. Multiple stakes winner Beat the Blues is the 3-1 program favorite in the nine-horse field.

Probable post time for the Spring Fever, the eighth of nine races, is 4:38 p.m.

Final furlong

Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel, who had been 0 for 29 at the meeting, broke through in Friday’s fifth race when Battle Tale, a 3-yearold Dunkirk filly, won her career debut at 1 1/16 miles.

… Multiple stakes winner Blueeyesintherein worked 3 furlongs in :37 on Friday morning for trainer Garry Simms. … Flattermejim, owned by Frank Vozel of Little Rock, was assigned top weight of 124 pounds for Friday’s $27,500 Oaklawn Starter Series Handicap at 13/16 miles. The race, which closed Thursday with 20 nominations, is for 4-yearolds and up who have started for a claiming price of $7,500 or less in 2013-2014.

At the post DAY 23 ATTENDANCE 5,858 ON-TRACK HANDLE $417,696.80 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,166,595.85 TOTAL HANDLE $2,584,292.65 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $8,796.11.

FRIDAY’S STARS Luis Quinonez rode two winners.

TODAY’S TIMES First post for the nine races is 1:05 p.m. Gates open at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION HRTV (races 7-9), TVG (full card). Oaklawn Replay Show (8 p.m., Resort Cable Channel 5, Hot Springs; 11 p.m., KARZ, Channel 42, Little Rock).

RADIO Oaklawn Raceday (11 a.m.-11:30 a.m., KABZ-FM, 103.7, Little Rock). Special guest: Trainer Bret Calhoun DAWN AT OAKLAWN (7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., south apron). Special guest: Trainer Chris Richard and jockey Dave Mello.

Free admission.

PRICES Admission $2. Parking in Oaklawn lots $2. Reserved seats $4.50 weekends. Programs $2. Daily Racing Form $5, $6.50, $7.50. Tip sheets $2-$5.

TODAY’S WAGERING MENU

Win-place-show, exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagering offered on all races

Daily double (races 1-2, 8-9)

CLASSIX (races 3-8)

Pick-3 (rolling begins with race 2)

Pick-4 (races 2-5 races 6-9)

TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Aqueduct (11:25 a.m.), Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Laurel (11:35 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:40 a.m.), Calder (11:55 a.m.), Turfway Park (12:10 p.m.), Fair Grounds (12:30 p.m.), Hawthorne (1:45 p.m.), Santa Anita (2:30 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Penn National (5 p.m.), Delta Downs (5:45 p.m.), Wheeling (5:45 p.m.), Charles Town (6 p.m.), Sam Houston (7 p.m.), Southland (7:30 p.m.).

Sports, Pages 25 on 02/22/2014