Oaklawn Barn Notes: Oaklawn Begins 2019 With Strong Gains

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Oaklawn Begins 2019 With Strong Gains

Business for Oaklawn’s first three days racing produced huge gains over 2018, highlighted by a January record for off-track pari-mutuel handle.

According to figures released by Oaklawn, total estimated attendance of 55,500 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday represented a 62 percent increase over the corresponding period last year. On-track handle of $2,938,316 was up 23 percent, while off-track handle of $11,310,359 increased 22.3 percent. Total mutuel handle on Oaklawn’s races was $14,248,675, a jump of 22.5 percent from 2018.

Saturday’s estimated attendance of 28,000 and total handle of $6,038,759 on the nine races were the second-highest January figures in Oaklawn history. A January record $4,629,704 was handled off track Saturday.

Oaklawn opened two weeks later than previous years to accommodate an extended season that concludes May 4, Kentucky Derby Day.

“Opening a couple of weeks later than usual, not only were the horsemen ready and the horses ready, but the town was ready,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “We’re tickled to death.”

Friday’s estimated attendance was 20,000, the highest for opening day since 2011. Saturday featured the annual price-rollback promotion, with corned beef sandwiches and soft drinks reduced to 50 cents and 10 cents, respectively.

Oaklawn hadn’t had an opening-weekend crowd of 20,000 since 2012 (it opened Jan. 13 that year).
Oaklawn’s record January attendance (32,288) came in 1988, the first year the track opened in that month. Saturday’s on-track handle of $1,409,055 was the highest in January since 2012.

“It’s our fans,” Cella said. “Our fans love horse racing. They love the fifth season They love coming to Oaklawn and we obviously benefit from that. We’re so appreciative of that, because no other track in America has the fan base that we have.”

Oaklawn set a single-day January record for total handle, $6,213,532, in 1998. That figure included a record $4,197,950 wagered off track.

Oaklawn estimates attendance after waiving admission in 2015.

Making Plans

M G Warrior moved a step closer to his stakes debut, overcoming trouble to post a three-quarter length victory in Saturday’s sixth race, an allowance for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

M G Warrior, who was making his 4-year-old debut for trainer Dallas Stewart and owner/breeder Stephanie Clark, vanquished, among others, Grade 3 winners Remembering Rita, Limation and One Liner after being squeezed at the start and waiting for room late on the second turn.

Under a rail-skimming ride from Corey Lanerie, M G Warrior ran the distance over a fast track in 1:44.11 to earn a 99 Equibase speed rating.

“He’s a very nice horse,” Stewart said Wednesday afternoon. “He’s got a lot in front of him still. We’re just taking our time with him, the ultimate goal being the Oaklawn Handicap.”

A son of Majestic Warrior, M G Warrior has won four of his last five starts, the last three in allowance company.

The first major local prep for the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 13 is the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 18, but Stewart said he “would hate to run him back that quick.”

The more likely scenario, Stewart said, is pointing M G Warrior for the $300,000 Essex Handicap March 16, the final major local stepping stone to the Oaklawn Handicap.

“That’s probably what we’ll do,” Stewart said. “I don’t know if he needs to go in all three. We’ll figure it out.”

M G Warrior headlines the Oaklawn string for Stewart, who is based at Fair Grounds. He started nine horses opening weekend, finishing second in a maiden special weights route for 3-year-olds Friday (Passion Play) and second in Saturday’s $100,000 American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters (Cathedral Reader).

Another Oaklawn-based horse for Stewart is Hidden Ruler, an unstarted 3-year-old Gemologist colt who has been workout star this season. Stewart’s Oaklawn division is overseen by Beau Chapman.

Finish Lines

Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel, who has 299 career Oaklawn victories, has two horses entered Saturday – All Around in the second race and Rowdy the Warrior in the seventh race. … Larry Robideaux, among Oaklawn’s leading trainers from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s, is scheduled to start his first horse in Hot Springs since 2012 in Saturday’s ninth race, a maiden special weights sprint for 3-year-olds and upward. Robideaux quit training in 2012 and later became stall superintendent at Louisiana Downs. Robideaux resurfaced with a starter in late December at Delta Downs and ran the same horse, Halostar, Monday at Fair Grounds. Saturday’s entrant, Oxxon, is a son of 2013 Preakness winner Oxbow and scheduled to be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Oaklawn’s leading jockey the last six years. Robideaux won 25 races in 1987 at Oaklawn, 27 in 1990, 29 in 1991 and 20 in 1995. He won Oaklawn’s Southwest Stakes and Rebel Stakes in 1995 with Mystery Storm. … Allen Milligan, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 2009, had 998 career North American victories through Wednesday, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Milligan has three horses entered Saturday at Oaklawn.