Oaklawn Park, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been a premier Thoroughbred racing destination since it opened in 1904. Known for its role in shaping Triple Crown champions, the track has produced legends like American Pharoah and Smarty Jones. As the centerpiece of the “Racing Festival of the South,” Oaklawn combines historic racing tradition with modern facilities, including a casino and resort atmosphere, and in recent years it has grown into the nation’s richest path to the Kentucky Derby.
Oaklawn Track Details
- Surfaces: One-mile dirt oval with a backstretch chute for sprints.
- Configuration: Classic oval with a unique dual finish line that shortens some races.
- Facilities: Historic grandstand, modern casino, clubhouse dining, simulcast wagering, and year-round gaming.
Oaklawn Featured Races & Events
- Arkansas Derby (G1): Premier Kentucky Derby prep race each spring.
- Apple Blossom Handicap (G1): One of the nation’s top races for fillies and mares.
- Rebel Stakes (G2), Fantasy Stakes (G3), and Southwest Stakes (G3): Key prep races on the Triple Crown trail.
- Oaklawn Handicap (G2): Historic race for older horses.
Oaklawn Horses & Race Types
- Oaklawn hosts Thoroughbred flat racing during its winter–spring meet, which now runs from late November through early May.
- Races include Triple Crown preps, sprint stakes, long-distance handicaps, and elite filly-and-mare divisions.
Oaklawn History & Legacy
- Founded: 1904, Oaklawn has endured closures and challenges but has always returned stronger.
- Milestones: Established the Racing Festival of the South in 1974, attracting top horses nationwide.
- Historic Moments: Smarty Jones’ sweep of Oaklawn preps in 2004, American Pharoah’s Triple Crown journey beginning here, and the unveiling of a statue in his honor in 2018.
- Legacy: Oaklawn remains one of the most influential tracks in American horse racing.
Oaklawn Odds & Betting
- Betting options include Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Pick 6.
- Peak interest comes during the Racing Festival of the South and Arkansas Derby week.
- Wagering is available at the track, simulcast outlets, and our BetUS racebook.
Oaklawn’s 3-year-old series is the nation’s richest road to the Kentucky Derby, so bettors follow the trail on to Kentucky Derby odds at Churchill Downs, alongside the other major winter and spring preps, the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds odds, the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park odds, and the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita odds.
Oaklawn Records & Stats
- Arkansas Derby: Smarty Jones (2004) and American Pharoah (2015) both used it as a springboard to greatness.
- Apple Blossom Handicap: Won by champions such as Zenyatta and Midnight Bisou.
- Attendance and Handle: Consistently ranks among the top spring racing meets in North America, with a record stakes program worth more than $18 million.
