The jockey colony at Oaklawn Park has grown more competitive as the purses have increased throughout the past decade. One notable addition is Joe Talamo who is back at the Hot Springs, Arkansas track this year for his second full season. Smokin’ Joe – a former mainstay in southern California who was featured on the Animal Planet Network reality show Jockeys – decided to trade Santa Anita Park for … Continue reading Go, Go, Go, Joe Talamo
The highly-touted, Bob Baffert trained, NADAL will put his perfect record on the line Saturday in the second division of the Grade 1, $500,000 dollar Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. But he won’t offer any Value in this talent laden field of equally prominent 3-year-olds. The second division of the Arkansas Derby is Race 13 on a card of 14 with a scheduled Post Time … Continue reading Arkansas Derby Division II
22 horses were entered for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby. After which Oaklawn Park officials decided to split the race into two divisions, both offering a $500,000 dollar purse. Churchill Downs opted to let both divisions of the Arkansas Derby race for the original 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The generosity of point dispersion takes into consideration that the Wood Memorial, Blue Grass Stakes and, … Continue reading Arkansas Derby First Division Picks
The horse racing world like all areas of society continues to make changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health crisis. Racetracks across America have either adjourned live racing or prohibited anyone other than essential employees from entering. Many tracks have cancelled or postponed meets during their respective April/May seasons. But racing continues at a few tracks across the country that have instituted … Continue reading The First Saturday In May
The pickings are slim this weekend for Kentucky Derby prep races to preview and handicap. That said, there is the very competitive, Grade 1 $600,000 dollar Apple Blossom Handicap being run Saturday at Oaklawn Park. A full field of 14 fillies and mares are scheduled to travel the 1 1/16 mile circuit. The Apple Blossom is Race 10 on a card of 11 with a … Continue reading Apple Blossom Special
The Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park was moved to May 2nd after Churchill Downs pushed the Kentucky Derby back to September. The $200,000 dollar Oaklawn Stakes will run on Saturday at nine furlongs and offer three automatic berths to the Arkansas Derby to its top finishers. The Oaklawn Stakes is Race 11 on a card of 12, with a scheduled Post Time of 6:48. … Continue reading Oaklawn Stakes Picks
Jockey Javier Castellano plans on returning to competitive riding on May 1st at Oaklawn Park, 37 days after testing positive for coronavirus, per a report from turf writer David Grening. The Hall of Fame rider has not raced since March 15th, nine days before testing positive for the COVID-19 virus on March 24th. Castellano returned to New York on Tuesday, after spending two weeks at … Continue reading Jockey Out-Runs Covid-19
The $1 million dollar Rebel Stakes (G2), which will be run at a distance of 1 1/16 miles, is Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The race drew a field of eight 3-year-olds looking to earn 2020 Kentucky Derby qualifying points as the top four spots pay out on a 50-20-10-5 scale. Since 2010 only one horse that has Won the Rebel Stakes has gone on to … Continue reading Rebel Winner
The road to the Kentucky Derby winds through Arkansas this Saturday as a competitive group of 3-year-olds line up for a lucrative edition of the Rebel Stakes, at Oaklawn Park. So read on for nine facts about the race, some helpful, others just interesting. 1. The Rebel was first contested in 1961, making this year the 60th edition. 2. In the last 11 contests, the … Continue reading Rebel Stakes
Last week the Daily Racing Blog looked at the top trainers at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This week we give you the top jockeys to watch for at this eight week meet. Ricardo Santana Jr. He could easily be described as jockey of the decade at Oaklawn, Winning six consecutive riding titles from 2013-2018. In April 2019, he recorded his 1,000th … Continue reading Oaklawn’s Top Riders
