Arkansas HBPA Board Elections
The 2019 Arkansas HBPA Board of Directors election is coming up and nominations close April 7, 2018. If interested, please contact the Arkansas HBPA office before that date Ballots will go out in October.
Oaklawn’s Track Receives High Praise After Wettest February on Record
Veteran jockey agent Scott Hare said in late February that for a while he thought he was representing riders at Emerald Downs, a joking reference to the track located near Seattle, noted for being one of the country’s rainiest cities. Hot Springs couldn’t be far behind in 2018. According to the National Weather Service in [...]
Oaklawn Increases Purses for the 18th Straight Year
The richest purses in the Midwest just got richer. Effective Saturday, Feb. 17, Oaklawn is increasing all allowance and maiden special weight races by $3,000. Allowance races will range from $79,000 to as high as $83,000. Maiden special weight races will increase to $78,000 from $75,000. In addition, all claiming races and maiden claiming [...]
Agenda Set for Track Superintendents Field Day at Oaklawn
The agenda is set and the excitement is building for the 17th annual Track Superintendents Field Day at historic Oaklawn Park. The event is open to all track superintendents and staff. “We welcome and urge tracks to invest in sending your team,” states event founder Roy Smith, “the information shared and the industry networking [...]
Presidents’ Day Weekend Stakes Coming Together at Oaklawn
Farrell (Photo by Coady Photography) Farrell, Streamline and Terra Promessa are among the early probables for Saturday’s $150,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares, Oaklawn co-stakes coordinator Lenny Rera said Sunday morning. The 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa is Oaklawn’s second of three major two-turn preps for the $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) [...]
Topics Announced, Registration Open for National HBPA Convention in New Orleans
Sports betting and its possible effects on horse racing. Stemming the dearth of backside employees. Horses’ inadvertent exposure to recreational and prescription medications. Needing solutions, not just funding, for Thoroughbred aftercare. Where the trainer absolute-insurer rule stands. Horsemen as citizen marketers. Those are among the discussions taking center stage at the National HBPA Convention, March [...]
Tom Van Berg Begins Oaklawn Meet with a “Profound Moment”
Profound Moment (Photo by Coady Photography) Shortly before trainer Tom Van Berg would saddle his first starter in a decade Jan. 12 at Oaklawn, paddock analyst Nancy Holthus was a few feet away preparing to deliver insight on the fifth race, a third-level allowance/optional claiming sprint for older fillies and mares. What unfolded [...]
Oaklawn Cancels January 19 Card Due to Weather
Oaklawn management has canceled Friday’s (January 19) nine-race card due to track conditions. Temperatures were record lows Tuesday and Wednesday and only slightly warmer Thursday. The track has not thawed completely and for the safety of the horses and horsemen, the decision was made to cancel racing. Oaklawn will remain open for gaming and simulcast [...]
Oaklawn Cancels Races for January 18 Due to Weather
Oaklawn management has cancelled Thursday’s nine-race card (January 18) due to frigid temperatures. Central Arkansas has been experiencing near record lows since Monday night and for the safety of the horses and horsemen, the decision to cancel racing was made. Oaklawn will remain open for gaming and simulcast racing. The game room will remain open [...]
Trainer Ron Moquett Looking for Success with Maidens at Oaklawn in 2018
The most important number for trainer Ron Moquett this year at Oaklawn might be 75. More specifically, it’s $75,000, the eye-popping purse amount to begin the meeting for maiden special weights runners. Moquett, who lives adjacent to Oaklawn’s backstretch, has approximately 40 horses on the grounds. Roughly half are maidens. Roughly half of those [...]