Some of the winter season’s best dirt racing returns to the Midwest with the start of 2025-26 campaign at Oaklawn Park. This Friday (12/12) the winter/spring meet at the Hot Springs, Arkansas facility gets underway. Oaklawn racing boasts big fields, which make for good betting races for handicappers. They feature an excellent Stakes program, along with very strong purses throughout its 64-raceday season that will continue … Continue reading Oaklawn Park Set To Open
One of the two premier prep races for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday is the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. The 1 1/8-mile contest has been very influential on the Triple Crown trail this century. Several horses have exited this race and gone on to star in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. Most notably is 2015 Triple Crown Winner AMERICAN PHAROAH as well as last … Continue reading Who Wins The Arkansas Derby?
The Rebel Stakes was originally scheduled to be run Saturday, but Oaklawn Park officials moved the entire Saturday card to Sunday due to inclement weather conditions forecast for the region. That said, a large field of fourteen 3-year-olds are scheduled to compete in the 65th edition of the Rebel Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile contest distributes Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis to the top five finishers … Continue reading Who Wins The Rebel Stakes ?
The Road to the Kentucky Derby makes a stop at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, with the running of the $1.25 million dollar, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes. This 1 1/16-mile event typically draws a deep, competitive field, buoyed by a massive purse plus 50 qualifying Derby points going to the Winner. The race was inaugurated in 1961 as the Rebel Handicap, and was changed to the Rebel Stakes … Continue reading Rebel History
The Road to the Kentucky Derby makes a stop in Arkansas on Saturday with the running of the million dollar, Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Aside from the $1 million purse, the contest will also award 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers. Last year’s Southwest Stakes Winner MYSTIK DAN used the race as a springboard on his way to Win the Run … Continue reading The Southwest Stakes
Prior to 2013 the traditional qualifying factor for horses wanting to participate in the Kentucky Derby was total Graded Stakes purse earnings- the more money an eligible horse Won, the increased chance of entering the starting gate. But beginning in 2013 Churchill Downs refined the classic earnings method in favor of a points based system which revamped the traditional prep races. These prep races were officially … Continue reading Ease On Down The Road (To The Kentucky Derby)
The Road to the Kentucky Derby at Oaklawn Park reaches the end on Saturday, when the track hosts the $1.5 million dollar, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. A deep and talented field of ten will travel 1 ⅛ miles on the main Oaklawn track in search of the prestigious Win that also includes maximum Derby qualifying points. The Winner will get 100 points, while the runner-up will receive 50, … Continue reading The Arkansas Derby
As March draws near the anticipation for the 2024 Kentucky Derby is ramping up. That said, Saturday the focus will be on Oaklawn Park for the 64th running of the Rebel Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is the third of four prep races for the Kentucky Derby held at Oaklawn and offers, along with a hefty $1.25 million dollar purse, a total of 105 qualifying points for the … Continue reading Who Wins The Rebel Stakes ?
The Road to the Kentucky Derby runs through Oaklawn Park Saturday, for the $1.25 million dollar, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes. An ambitious field of 13 entrants is set to line up for this 1 1/16-mile event, with 50 qualifying Derby points going to the Winner. The race was inaugurated in 1961 as the Rebel Handicap, and was changed to the Rebel Stakes in 1984. That same year, the … Continue reading Do The Rebel (Yell) Stakes
Some of the best winter dirt racing in North America is coming to the Midwest, as the Oaklawn Park meet begins this Friday, December 8th. The 2023-24 season will extend until May 4th, when the track shuts down on the same day as the 150th Kentucky Derby. Racing at Oaklawn brings big fields, good betting races for handicappers, an excellent Stakes program, and very strong purses fueled … Continue reading Oaklawn Park Opens
