Oaklawn Park

Banishing (Ghostzapper) spoiled a bid by Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) to win the GII Charles Town Classic for the third year in a row when he successfully shipped in for West Virginia's biggest night at the races on Friday. The veteran who is co-owned by trainer David Jacobson scored his biggest triumph in the GIII Oaklawn Mile in Hot Springs Mar. 29 when he dueled and then defeated GISW Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming). Banishing was bested by First Mission (Street Sense) in the GII Oaklawn Handicap the next month, but he did...

The GII Fantasy Stakes will be worth $1 million when it is run next year at Oaklawn Park, while the purse for the Arkansas track's GIII Honeybee Stakes will be increased for the second consecutive time, from $500,000 to $750,000 in 2026. "The increase to our Fantasy Stakes by itself makes a very strong statement," Oaklawn's President Louis A. Cella said. "This will be the first time in the history of North American racing that 3-year-old fillies will have an opportunity to run for a seven-figure purse prior to the...

I knew it was coming, but that doesn't dull the sadness. I posted online last week that I was sad about the news D. Wayne Lukas had been put in hospice care and retired from training, but it's complicated to explain why I feel so profoundly sad about the passing of a man that I'd only spoken with a few times briefly in my life. A lot of it has to do with a connection I had with my dad that he unknowingly helped fuel many times over more than...

Oaklawn Park is promoting Zack Gillham to Vice President of Racing & Wagering, while Jason Milligan will assume the role of Director of Racing, the track said via a press release on Thursday morning. In his expanded position, Gillham will oversee all aspects of Oaklawn's racing and sports wagering operations. A member of the Hot Springs team for over eight years, he most recently served as Executive Director of Wagering. Milligan, the former Vice President of Racing, has been with Oaklawn's equine operations for the past 28 years.

The winner of the GI Arkansas Derby and seventh place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby, Sandman (Tapit--Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor) will enter next Saturday's GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, according to a press release sent out by 1/ST Racing. Co-owned by D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, CJ Stables and influencer Griffin Johnson, the 3-year-old has remained at Churchill Downs where he took a spin over the main track on Friday. "We wanted to see how he came back. He's an extremely happy horse...

The Oaklawn Park live racing season wrapped up last Saturday, and it delivered with strong numbers across the board, with over $56-million in purses distributed over 621 races, the track announced Monday evening. With an average of 10 races a day, and a daily purse distribution of $903,338, the racing remained competitive with an average of 9.32 starters per race. The average daily handle surpassed $6.73-million while the meet handle reached well north of $417-million. Participation from horsemen remained strong, too, as 2,030 individual horses made at least one start...

With Derby weekend in the books, we take a look back at the graded races in April that led us there. The month did not disappoint with great racing from coast to coast, although Keeneland, as per usual, was the star of the show. If the top of the sport is measured by graded races, few race weeks are as packed with quality or as anticipated as the boutique meets at Keeneland. With an inevitable focus on the Lexington track, we look at trends and notable items from the country's...

Oaklawn will dramatically alter its 2025-2026 racing schedule, moving to more four-day weeks while greatly reducing its January footprint, after its request for 64 racing dates (Dec. 12-May 2), was unanimously approved by the Arkansas Racing Commission Thursday morning in Little Rock, the track said in a press release on Thursday. Oaklawn will open a week later and again close Kentucky Derby Day. The Hot Springs oval is scheduled to race nine days in December--Friday, Saturday and Sunday--before its first of 10 scheduled four-day race weeks (Jan. 1-4). Expanded race...

It was on the first Saturday in May, 2024 that Mystik Dan (Goldencents) ran the race of his life to win the GI Kentucky Derby by a nose over Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). One year and four starts later, he hasn't won again, but will hope to end the losing streak on the anniversary of his greatest triumph. On Saturday, Mystik Dan will take on seven others in the Lake Ouachita S. at Oaklawn Park. It will be his first start since he was beaten 20 3/4 lengths in the...

Kentucky Oaks hopeful and 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon), winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, and the Kentucky Derby-bound Grande (Curlin), runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at the Big A, worked at Keeneland on Friday. Quietside was clocked in :48.20 for a half-mile with her Oaks jockey, Jose Ortiz, in the saddle. "Jose and I had a plan to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out just to keep her on her toes from here on out," trainer John Ortiz said. "She worked...

Griffin Johnson may not be well known within horse racing circles, but that doesn't mean he can't help the sport. For decades, racing has been fighting a losing battle when it comes to attracting a younger audience. That's where Johnson comes in. He is a social media influencer who has 9.7 million followers on TikTok and 2.6 million on Instagram. He's also a horse owner. Johnson is part of the West Point Thoroughbreds group that owns GI Arkansas Derby winner and GI Kentucky Derby contender Sandman (Tapit). He'll be at...

Despite a frustrating conclusion to 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense)'s 4-year-old season last year, trainer Brad Cox never lost any confidence in the Godolphin homebred. "Look, we've always thought he was a Grade I talent," Cox said in these pages earlier this week. You can certainly see why now. Pounded late into 7-5 favoritism, First Mission sat the trip of the race beneath Flavien Prat in Saturday's $1.25-million GII Oaklawn Handicap and powered clear to a two-length victory over the in-form Banishing (Ghostzapper). The final time of 1:49.09...