If you're looking for a success story that doesn't involve slot machine legislation, check out this story in the Daily Racing Form about the upcoming meet at Oaklawn Park. According to the story the track has put up a giant infield screen, built a new barn named for Smarty Jones, added to its management team, changed its entry schedule and claiming rules in an effort to support local horseman by keeping locally claimed horses local, and signed a deal with HRTV. I'm actually surprised that the Arkansas Derby hasn't been upgraded to a Grade I race, with the million dollar purse and calibre of horses that have raced there -- hopefully Hard Spun (a likely candidate for the Ark Derby) will help add to the "strength of schedule" for the race.
How can you argue when there are 27 stakes worth $4.5 million this meet and purses are at a record level ($290,000 to $300,000 a day). Selections from the DRF story:
The strong purse structure for the meet has led to an oversubscribed stable area, which houses more than 1,400 horses. There are more than 1,700 foal papers on file for the meet, said Pat Pope, the racing secretary for Oaklawn.
"There's over 110 trainers that were assigned stalls," he said. "You've got the top 15 back, and there's over 20 trainers that did not start a horse in the program last year that are on the backside."
Some of the new faces include Tom Bohannan, who with owner John Ed Anthony won the Preakness in 1992 with Arkansas Derby winner Pine Bluff, and Chris Hartman, a leading trainer in New Mexico in his first season in Hot Springs. Cole Norman, who has won the past six training titles at Oaklawn, is back, along with trainers Larry Jones, Steve Hobby, and D. Wayne Lukas, who all have larger stables this year at Oaklawn.
"We're here for the winter," said Lukas. "I think it's a good 3-year-old program, and it lends itself to developing the young horses we've got. I've got a couple of pretty nice ones. That's why I'm here."
It sound like Oaklawn is moving in the right direction, with Kentucky on one-side and Louisiana on the other, the track is making the right moves to benefit the horseman (20 new trainers is clearly a move in the right direction) and the promise of quality racing. Let's see how the public responds, both at the gate and over HRTV.
2 comments:
No slots, but remember that the Instant Racing machines have been extremely popular there and have helped to generate revenue.
I know, but it's still not slots. Everyone talks about slots like they are the ONLY answer... I think offering quality racing and taking care of your horsemen is a better long-term option. If tracks were willing to put in the time, energy (and money) that they're willing to put into slots (between potential improvements, lobbiest costs/efforts, constant focus) onto a) taking care of the horsemen and b) taking care of the patron I think we'd be moving in the right direction.
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