In what has become something of an annual rite of passage, officials at Oaklawn Park have announced an increase in overnight purses of $1,000 to $3,000 per race owing to strong business in the month of January.
“To be able to increase purses this early in the season is a testament to the quality racing we've been offering,” said Racing Secretary Pat Pope. “We have some of the top horses in the country in our barn area and I'm getting calls every day from horsemen seeking stalls.”
The announcement means a minimum purse of $19,000 for bottom-level claimers, while horses contesting maiden allowance races will now run for $61,000. Upper-end allowance races could be worth as much as $68,000.
“We have a unique business model that features live racing, Instant Racing and Electronic Games of Skill,” added Director of Racing David Longinotti. “And what we are seeing is that the total is greater than the sum of the parts. It's working.”
Officials are hopeful it will not be the last augmentation of the season.
“If the business trend we saw in January continues through February, there's a very good chance we'll be doing this one more time,” Longinotti offered.
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