(BPT) - Oaklawn Hot Springs, one of America's premier Thoroughbred racetracks and casinos, is making history. Beginning with the 2025–2026 season, Oaklawn's racing calendar — long recognized for its high-stakes purses and nationally competitive fields — will feature two distinct racing seasons for the first time in its more than 100-year history.
A festive new tradition
kAm%96 w@=:52J #24:?8 $62D@? =2F?496D s64] `a[ a_ad – y2?] c[ a_ae[ 3C:?8:?8 E96 E9C:== @7 ~2<=2H? C24:?8 :?E@ E96 >@DE 76DE:G6 E:>6 @7 J62C] vF6DED 42? A2:C E96 25C6?2=:?6 @7 =:G6 C24:?8 2?5 E96 4@>7@CE @7 E96 u@C36D #64@>>6?565 ~2<=2H? w@E6= H:E9 C6=2I2E:@? 2E E96 u@C36D u@FC\$E2C pDEC2= $A2] (96E96C :EVD 2 9@=:52J 86E2H2J[ 2 }6H *62CVD H66<6?5 46=63C2E:@? @C D:>A=J 2 ?6H EC25:E:@? E@ D92C6 H:E9 7C:6?5D[ E96 w@=:52J #24:?8 $62D@? 255D 2 7F? 2?5 76DE:G6 EH:DE E@ E96 ~2<=2H? 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^c_3g3364\b_fh\c7ag\g2g_\hc4b72hg57h_];A8Q 2=ElQ#246 9@CD6D 4@>:?8 2C@F?5 E96 36?5 2E E96 ~2<=2H? EC24<]Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk^5:Gm
kAmkDEC@?8mt=:E6 C24:?8 C6EFC?D :? a_aek^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 3C:67 :?E6C>:DD:@?[ E96 DA@E=:89E C6EFC?D H:E9 ~2<=2H?VD :4@?:4 r=2DD:4 #24:?8 $62D@?[ CF??:?8 y2?] b_ – |2J a[ a_ae] %9:D DEC6E49 D9@H42D6D D@>6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?VD >@DE AC6DE:8:@FD DE2<6D C246D[ 5C2H:?8 E96 DA@CEVD 6=:E6 9@CD6D[ ;@4<6JD 2?5 EC2:?6CD E@ w@E $AC:?8D] u@C C24:?8 72?D[ :EVD 2? F?>2E4965 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ D66 492>A:@?D9:A\42=:36C %9@C@F893C65D H:E9 E96 A@E6?E:2= @7 H:??:?8 9@CD6 C24:?8VD 4@G6E65 %C:A=6 rC@H?]k^Am
kAmQ#24:?8 :? s646>36C 2==@HD ~2<=2H? E@ H6=4@>6 72?D 5FC:?8 E96 w@=:52J #24:?8 $62D@?[ H9:=6 @FC r=2DD:4 #24:?8 $62D@? 4@?E:?F6D E@ 56=:G6C E96 6=:E6 4@>A6E:E:@? 7@C H9:49 ~2<=2H? :D <?@H?[Q D2:5 {@F:D p] r6==2[ AC6D:56?E @7 ~2<=2H?] Q(6VC6 6I4:E65 E@ @776C 6G6? >@C6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 3@E9 =@?8E:>6 C24:?8 6?E9FD:2DED 2?5 ?6H 8F6DED E@ 6IA6C:6?46 H92E >2<6D ~2<=2H? F?:BF6]Qk^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ>2I\H:5E9i e__AIj H:5E9i e__AIjQmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3C2?5A@:?E4@?E6?E]4@>^:>286D^g6eg_gb2\a735\cd5c\h774\g6b2e_74h26c];A8Q 2=ElQq:C5D 6J6 G:6H @7 9@CD6D C24:?8 @? ~2<=2H? w@E $AC:?8D EC24<]Q H:5E9lQe__Q 3@C56ClQ_Q ^mk^5:Gm
k5:G 4=2DDlQ{:DE:4=6r2AE:@?Q DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i ``AIjQmk^5:Gm
kAmkDEC@?8mp 56DE:?2E:@? 36J@?5 E96 EC24<k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%9:D ?6H DA=:E\D62D@? 7@C>2E :D 56D:8?65 E@ 2AA62= E@ 2 3C@25 2F5:6?46ik^Am
kF= EJA6lQ5:D4Qmk=:mkDEC@?8m#24:?8 6?E9FD:2DEDik^DEC@?8m |@C6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ 7@==@H 6=:E6 4@?E6?56CD 2?5 6IA6C:6?46 E96 EC25:E:@?D E92E >2<6 ~2<=2H? @?6 @7 E96 AC6>:6C EC24<D :? E96 4@F?ECJ]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m*@F?8 25F=ED 2?5 ?6H 72?Dik^DEC@?8m p 76DE:G6 9@=:52J 2E>@DA96C6 A2:C65 H:E9 2AAC@24923=6 6?ECJ A@:?ED E@ =:G6 C24:?8[ 5:?:?8 2?5 6?E6CE2:?>6?E >2<6D ~2<=2H? 2 A6C764E 7:CDE\E:>6 6IA6C:6?46]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m%9@D6 A=2??:?8 2 86E2H2Jik^DEC@?8m q6J@?5 E96 EC24< 2?5 8C62E 42D:?@ 24E:@?[ G:D:E@CD 42? 6?;@J ~2<=2H?VD u@C36D #64@>>6?565 w@E6=[ F?H:?5 2E E96 pDEC2= $A2 — pC<2?D2DV @?=J u@C36D 7@FC\DE2C =FIFCJ DA2 — 2?5 :?5F=86 2E pC<2?D2DV @?=J u@C36D #64@>>6?565 C6DE2FC2?ED[ %96 qF8=6C 2?5 %96 ~pz C@@> U2>Aj 32C]k^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8mtIA6C:6?46 ~2<=2H?VD 6=6G2E65 9@DA:E2=:EJk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~2<=2H?VD :??@G2E:@? 4@>6D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? =:G6 6IA6C:6?46D 2C6 >@C6 G2=F23=6 E92? 6G6C] %96 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 9@=:52J 6G6?ED[ AC6>:6C C24:?8 2?5 E96 324<5C@A @7 w@E $AC:?8DV D46?:4 ~F249:E2 |@F?E2:?D 4C62E6D 2? F?A2C2==6=65 56DE:?2E:@? 7@C 3@E9 =@42=D 2?5 EC2G6=6CD]k^Am
kAmu2?D 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ >2C< E96:C 42=6?52CD 7@C ~A6?:?8 s2J @? s64] `a[ a_ad[ 2?5 ;@:? ~2<=2H? :? 46=63C2E:?8 E9:D 9:DE@C:4 ?6H 492AE6C :? %9@C@F893C65 C24:?8]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%:AD 7@C G:D:E:?8 ~2<=2H? w@E $AC:?8Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF= EJA6lQ5:D4Qmk=:mkDEC@?8mr964< :? 2?5 DE2J 2 H9:=6ik^DEC@?8m t?;@J E96 u@C36D #64@>>6?565 ~2<=2H? w@E6=[ 9@>6 E@ pC<2?D2DV @?=J u@C36D u@FC\$E2C =FIFCJ DA2[ 2 H@C=5\4=2DD 42D:?@ 2?5 >F=E:A=6 u@C36D #64@>>6?565 5:?:?8 @AE:@?D E92E >2<6 ~2<=2H? >@C6 E92? 2 52J 2E E96 C246D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8mtIA=@C6 w@E $AC:?8Dik^DEC@?8m s:D4@G6C E96 9:DE@C:4 32E99@FD6D[ 9:<:?8 EC2:=D 2?5 2 G:3C2?E =@42= 5:?:?8 D46?6 E@ C@F?5 @FE J@FC EC:A]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8muF? 7@C E96 H9@=6 72>:=Jik^DEC@?8m w@=:52J C246 52JD H:== 762EFC6 2 76DE:G6 2E>@DA96C6 H:E9 52:=J AC@>@E:@?D[ 7@@5[ 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 2?5 72>:=J\7C:6?5=J @AE:@?D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m!=2? 29625ik^DEC@?8m ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^@2<=2H?]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm~2<=2H?]4@>k^2m 7@C 9@E6= C6D6CG2E:@?D[ E:4<6E :?7@C>2E:@?[ D4965F=6D 2?5 DA64:2= 6G6?ED]k^=:mk^F=m
kAm(:E9 EH@ 5:DE:?4E C24:?8 D62D@?D[ ~2<=2H? :D C625J E@ 56=:G6C F?7@C86EE23=6 >6>@C:6D — H96E96C :EVD 9@=:52J 4966C :? s646>36C @C s6C3J 5C62>D :? E96 DAC:?8]k^Am
kAmu@F?565 :? `h_c 2?5 =@42E65 :? w@E $AC:?8D }2E:@?2= !2C<[ pC<2?D2D[ ~2<=2H? :D @?6 @7 E96 AC6>:6C %9@C@F893C65 C246EC24<D :? E96 4@F?ECJ] |2<6 J@FC C6D6CG2E:@?D 2?5 A=2? J@FC EC:A 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]@2<=2H?]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmHHH]@2<=2H?]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAm|FDE 36 `g 7@C C246 82>3=:?8 2?5 a` 7@C 42D:?@ 82>:?8 :? pC<2?D2D] p=H2JD 36E C6DA@?D:3=J] x7 J@F @C D@>6@?6 J@F <?@H 92D 2 82>3=:?8 AC@3=6>[ A=62D6 42== `\g__\daa\cf__ @C G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]?4A82>3=:?8]@C8^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmHHH]?4A82>3=:?8]@C8k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.