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Oaklawn kicks off 54-day meet with record purses
Oaklawn's stakes program is again highlighted by the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby, which concludes the "Racing Festival of the South," on April 11. Preceding the Arkansas Derby for classic hopefuls are the $150,000 Smarty Jones on January 19; the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest on February 16; and the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel on March 14. Other meet highlights include the Grade 1, $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap for fillies and mares on April 10; the Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 11; the Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri for fillies and mares on March 14; the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy for three-year-old fillies on April 4; and the Grade 3, $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on April 9. The 2015 Oaklawn racing season will mark the seventh consecutive year of increased purses. The total purse projection for the meet is more than $23 million, and maiden special weight races will carry purses of $60,000 -- $5,000 more than when the 2014 season opened. Open allowance races will offer purses up to $65,000, and the minimum purse will be $18,000. Purses at Oaklawn have risen by more than one-third since the initial opening of the gaming center, and the quality of racing has tracked right along with it. Oaklawn received requests for nearly 3,000 stalls for the 2015 racing season, double the quantity that it can house. Horsemen returning will include Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas; Randy Morse, who will have Grade 1 winner Moonshine Mullin in his stable again; Ken McPeek, Steve Hobby, Chris Richard, Ron Moquett and Donnie Von Hemel. Six-time Sovereign Award winning trainer Mark Casse returns for his second straight year and will be joined by newcomers Wayne Catalano, Mike Stidham, Steve Margolis and Tony Dutrow, among others. Six-time leading trainer Steve Asmussen also returns, and is expected to start both Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Untapable and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Tapiture in stakes engagements during the season. In addition to offering free general admission throughout the meet, Oaklawn will also offer purse bonuses for horses that run and win without Lasix. The Oaklawn Lasix-free Bonus program will provide a 10 percent bonus to the winner's share of the purse for all horses that run and win without Lasix. This means Oaklawn Lasix-free incentives will range from $1,080 for its minimum purse of $18,000 up to $60,000 for the Arkansas Derby. The total potential bonus supplement will be $1.4 million. Lasix-free bonus payments will be provided by Oaklawn itself and will not come out of the purse fund. In Thursday's Dixie Belle, the likely favorite is the undefeated Promise Me Silver, a Texas-bred who has won four races by a combined 21 1/2 lengths, including the $50,000 Letellier Memorial at Fair Grounds on December 20. Also expected to attract support are stakes debuters Sarah Sis, a Keeneland allowance winner in October, and Toutsie Rules, a Keeneland graduate who took an allowance at Fair Grounds last time. In addition to the races, Oaklawn will also be offering their traditional 50-cent corned beef sandwiches promotion for fans in attendance on opening day. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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