OPINION

OPINION | REX NELSON: The Cella way

I fell in love with thoroughbred racing at a young age. By my freshman year in college, I was using my job as sports editor of the daily newspaper in Arkadelphia as an excuse to drive to Hot Springs each day during the Oaklawn race meet. In 1981, I covered the Kentucky Derby for the first time. I've been to eight of those spectacles.

In 1982, at age 22, I covered every day of the race meet for the Arkansas Democrat. The sport of kings has been part of my life for decades. One of the pleasures of being an Oaklawn regular was getting to know the late Charles J. Cella, the track's owner. Newspaper writers are attracted to colorful characters, and they didn't come much more colorful than the man associates referred to simply as CJC.

I often saw Cella's sons, Louis and John, with him at big races. I wondered if they loved the sport as much as their father did. What would become of Oaklawn once CJC was no longer around?

We have our answer, and the news couldn't be better for the state's tourism sector. In December 2017, Charles Cella died. Louis was named president of Oaklawn. John was named president of the family's Southern Real Estate & Financial Co. in St. Louis.

Louis, it turns out, not only loves racing as much as his father did; he's also a visionary in a sport that has been sadly lacking such leaders in recent years.

"It's truly an honor to follow in the footsteps of my father and grandfather," Louis said when he took over at Oaklawn. "Racing has been part of the Cella family DNA for generations, and we're committed to keeping Oaklawn one of the premier racetracks in the country."

Earlier in 2017, Louis had become the third generation of his family to serve on the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America board. His grandfather, John G. Cella, was president in 1959-60. CJC was president in 1975-76.

The respect for the Cella family that exists throughout the thoroughbred world was evident when industry leader Ted Bassett (a Keeneland and Breeders' Cup director) said: "The appointment of Louis Cella as president of Oaklawn Jockey Club will be welcome news throughout the racing industry as it continues the legendary involvement of the Cella family. For over a century, four generations of this family have dedicated themselves to maintaining the highest and traditional standards of racing, ensuring public trust and the well-being of the horse.

"For most of his life, Louis has been actively involved in every aspect of racing, and with this experience and the Cella family's commitment to excellence, this continues the success of Oaklawn Park for years to come."

Louis' great-grandfather, Louis A. Cella, was as colorful as CJC. In 1896, he helped start the Cella, Adler and Tilles investment syndicate. Known as CAT, it soon dominated racing in this part of the country. CAT once had a controlling interest in 25 tracks. Its Western Turf Association gave CAT control over everything from jockeys to bookmakers.

Louis A. Cella, the son of poor Italian immigrants, made millions of dollars, not only in racing but also in theaters, real estate, stocks and commodities. He eventually would own five large office buildings, 10 theaters, several hotels and multiple brokerages.

It was inevitable that the Cella family would find its way from St. Louis to Hot Springs. The Spa City has always been known as much for gambling as thermal waters. Thoroughbred races were being run at Sportsman's Park on the southeastern edge of Hot Springs by the early 1890s. Essex Park was built in 1904. That same year, a group of investors formed Oaklawn Jockey Club.

"The name Oaklawn came from the rural community in which the track was built, which in turn took its name from what Peter LaPatourel, an early settler, called his home, around which a stand of ancient oaks stood," Michael Hodge writes for the Central Arkansas Library System's Encyclopedia of Arkansas. "Oaklawn Park opened Feb. 15, 1905, and prevailed as the lone remaining racing venue by 1907.

"The original venue reportedly cost $500,000 and could seat 1,500 spectators. It included innovations such as a glass-enclosed grandstand and steam heat--among the first racetracks in the country with either."

In 1907, the Arkansas Legislature approved a bill that forced Oaklawn's closure at the end of the season. The track would remain closed to racing for years, though the infield was the site of the Arkansas State Fair from 1906-14. By 1914, Louis A. Cella and his brother Charles had total ownership.

"Fires in 1913 caused a downturn in tourism, fueled by rumors that the city couldn't accommodate guests as a result of the damage," Hodge writes. "The persistence of these rumors inspired city leaders to find a way to draw tourists back to the city. In 1916, the Hot Springs Men's Business League reopened Oaklawn by setting a short racing schedule beginning March 11 under the guise of a nonprofit civic enterprise. Parimutuel betting wasn't allowed, but this didn't preclude unofficial wagering.

"The 30-day season was a success and led to the reopening of both Oaklawn and Essex the following year, with plans for the two tracks to split a full season. The newly refurbished Essex burned the day after its grand reopening in 1917, thus moving the entire season to Oaklawn and marking the end of racing at Essex."

Charles J. Cella became track president in 1968 following the death of his father, John. In 2005, Oaklawn and the Cella family were awarded the Eclipse Award of Merit, the most prestigious award in racing. The award was given in recognition of increases in attendance and wagering at the track during the previous five years, a period when racing was in decline elsewhere.

In November 2018, Arkansas voters approved casino gambling at four locations, including Oaklawn. Louis Cella wasted no time announcing plans for a $100 million hotel and event center connected to the track. With the hotel, its restaurant and spa now open, it's obvious the Cella family spent far more than $100 million on the upscale facility.

Louis and his wife Rochelle, who was raised at England in Lonoke County, personally chose furniture and decorations for the luxurious complex, which maintains a racing theme. It sets Oaklawn apart from other thoroughbred facilities across the country.

"Through the whole facility, racing is in some way, shape or form involved in the design," says Oaklawn general manager Wayne Smith. "What we want people to recognize is we're a racetrack first, and then we're a hotel and casino."

Louis Cella hasn't been afraid to make major changes. A race meet that once ended on Arkansas Derby Day in April now runs three weeks later through Kentucky Derby Day on the first Saturday in May.

Last month, Oaklawn officials announced that the next race meet will begin Dec. 3 rather than in late January. That will allow races for 2-year-old horses (Jan. 1 is considered the birthday for all thoroughbreds).

"This brings a whole new era of 2-year-old racing, which we stopped 50 years ago," Louis says.

Cella was named Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sportsman of the Year last year for his efforts to keep racing going during the pandemic. He even rescheduled the 2020 Arkansas Derby to the first Saturday in May after it was announced that Churchill Downs would postpone the Kentucky Derby until fall. The 2020 Arkansas Derby drew a large national television audience of sports-starved fans.

"In racing, we have an obligation," Louis told this newspaper. "It's not like a retail store. You send your employees home and good luck and let's talk next week. We have 500 people in the backstretch. We have 1,500 horses that have to be fed and cared for. We have our own employees, and at that time, we're ramped up to 1,000 people. We can't just turn the lights off and say go home. It's not right, and we can't do it."


Rex Nelson is a senior editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

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