SureBet Racing News -Arkansas Racing News

News from Arkansas:

Sherriff Cogburn Back on Track at Oaklawn - Hot Springs, AR - Feb. 18, 2011 - He doesn't have a race picked out, his owner is on a lengthy tour and the movie character he is named for has to wait until Feb. 27 to find out if he will win any Academy Awards, but we can proudly announce that there's a new sheriff in town as country music superstar Toby Keith's Dream Walkin' Farm has sent Sherriff Cogburn to Oaklawn Park to train with Don Von Hemel.

Three Stakes Races on Tap This Weekend at Oaklawn - Hot Springs, AR - Sanders & Hirsch's Taptam, winner of the 2010 Pippin and second to Zenyatta in the 2010 Apple Blossom Invitational, heads the lineup of 22 older fillies and mares pointed towards Saturday's featured $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes, kicking off a weekend of stakes races at Oaklawn.

Wittek Makes Splash in Rookie Season at Oaklawn - Hot Spring, AR - Feb.14, 2011 - Forgive trainer Karyn Wittek for being a little star-struck. With wins to open and close Saturday’s program at Oaklawn Park, the 27-year-old native of Staten Island, N.Y., had doubled her career win total.

Chatters Can Build on First Oaklawn Stakes with Colt Smoke It Right - Hot Springs, AR - Feb. 14, 2011 - Trainer Bernard Chatters had his coming out party Saturday at Oaklawn Park by saddling Drs. K.K. Jayaraman and Vilasini Jayaraman’s 3-year-old filly Holy Heavens to win the Martha Washington Stakes. She now progresses down the path toward the $300,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) in April, but Chatters is also loading up for the Arkansas Derby (G1) series with the undefeated Smoke It Right.

OAKLAWN INCREASES PURSES, ADDS A RACE DAY - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Feb. 12, 2011 – Working with the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (H.B.P.A.) and the Arkansas Racing Commission, Oaklawn announced Saturday an immediate purse increase of approximately $10,000 per day and the addition of a race day, Wednesday, April 13.

Oaklawn Park’s eight days lost sets new record - ANB - Feb. 11, 2011 - Oaklawn Park set a new record today when it canceled horse racing for the eighth day this season because of snow and ice. The track’s average live-racing handle ranges from $2.5 million to $3.5 million per day.

TRACK CONDITION FORCES OAKLAWN TO CANCEL FRIDAY - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Feb. 11, 2011 – Oaklawn Park has been forced to cancel live racing Friday due to track conditions. The temperatures in Hot Springs have not warmed as quickly as expected, leaving the track unsuitable for racing and for the safety of the horses and jockeys, the horsemen, stewards and track officials felt it was best to cancel the day’s card. The track maintenance crew will continue to work the track throughout the day to have the track ready for racing Saturday.

Radosevich Rides Family Legacy toward Lofty Goals at Oaklawn - Hot Springs, AR - Feb. 11, 2011 - Most 18-year-old high school graduates are sketchy on what their future holds. Not Jacob Radosevich. He is preparing to ride for the first time at Oaklawn Park Friday as an apprentice jockey.

OAKLAWN CANCELS THURSDAY, FEB. 10 DUE TO WEATHER - Oaklawn Park has made the decision to cancel live racing for Thursday, Feb. 10, after another snow storm hit Hot Springs Wednesday. With temperatures expected to rise quickly on Thursday and Friday, Oaklawn Park officials remain confident that live racing will be held Friday – Sunday. The weekend will feature the $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile Saturday and the $100,000 Essex Handicap for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles Sunday. The Essex had been originally scheduled for Feb. 5. Thursday’s cancellation is a record seventh of the meet for Oaklawn.

Big Week Ahead for Jockey Calvin Borel - Hot Springs, AR - Feb. 9, 2011 - Two-time Oaklawn Park leading rider Calvin Borel, winner of three out of the last four Kentucky Derbys, will be recognized both locally and abroad for his riding accomplishments in the coming days.

OAKLAWN PARK TO ADD ONE RACE TO DAILY CARDS - Track to Hold 10 Races a Day - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Feb. 5, 2011 – Oaklawn Park, which has lost six full race cards because of weather since the beginning of the meet, will increase the number of daily races from nine to 10 effective with its Thursday, Feb. 10 card. Post times will remain 1:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays and 1:00 p.m. Saturdays.

OAKLAWN CANCELS WEEKEND CARDS DUE TO WEATHER – Feb. 4, 2011 - Oaklawn Park was dealt another rough hand by Mother Nature in the form of snow Friday morning, forcing the track to cancel its entire weekend of racing, Saturday, Feb. 5 and Sunday, Feb. 6. The latest cancellations follow ones Thursday and Friday due to frigid temperatures and a frozen racetrack. Overall, the track has lost six days because of weather since the start of the meet. Oaklawn will remain open for simulcast racing and gaming.
Live racing is not scheduled at Oaklawn again until Thursday, Feb. 10 with a 1:30 p.m. first post. The $100,000 Essex Handicap, originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5 will now be run either Saturday, Feb. 12 or Sunday, Feb. 13.

Retired jockey Patterson dead at 66 - Hot Springs, AR - Feb. 2, 2011 - Garth Patterson, a prominent jockey during the 1960s and ‘70s, was found dead on January 25 at his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was 66.

TRAINER ALLEN MILLIGAN WINS FOUR RACES SUNDAY - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 30, 2011 – Trainer Allen Milligan, Oaklawn Park’s leading trainer in 2009, won with all four of his starters Sunday and moved into second place in the standings with six winners. Randy Morse is the current leader with seven victories through the first 10 days of racing.

OAKLAWN TRACK ANNOUNCER TERRY WALLACE ENDS STREAK AT 20,191 - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 28, 2011 – – Terry Wallace, Oaklawn Park’s track announcer for 37 years, ended his record streak of consecutive race calls at 20,191 Friday when he handed over the microphone to Frank Mirahmadi for the fifth race, won by Heavenly Appeal. Wallace, who was back in the booth for the sixth race, took advantage of Mirahmadi’s visit to the track and enjoyed his very first Oaklawn race among the fans on the apron.

STEPHANIE GOT EVEN EXTENDS STREAK WITH AMERICAN BEAUTY WIN - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 23, 2011 – The step up into stakes competition was no problem for Martin Brothers Racing Stables’ Stephanie Got Even as she delivered her fifth straight victory in Sunday’s $50,000 American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

SATANS QUICK CHICK GETS HER WIN IN SATURDAY’S PIPPEN STAKES - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 22, 2011 – With no Zenyatta’s in the field, Jerry Jamgotchian’s Satans Quick Chick finally got the stakes win that eluded her all last year in Saturday’s $75,000 Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park, overcoming slow early fractions to catch She’s All In. - Coady Photography / Jeff Coady

2011 OAKLAWN MEET OFF TO A STRONG START DESPITE WEATHER - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 17, 2011 - Despite wintery weather knocking out the traditional opening day, business has been as brisk as the weather at Oaklawn Park through the first weekend of the 107th meet.

CALEB’S POSSE TAKES SMARTY JONES STAKES WITH AUTHORITY - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 17, 2011 – The only thing clear at Oaklawn Park on Monday was Caleb’s Posse’s two and three-quarter length victory over Dreaminofthewin in Monday’s $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes. A dense fog covered Hot Springs and made it very difficult for race fans and announcer Terry Wallace to see much other than the final strides of the one-mile race for 3-year-olds hoping to make the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 16. - Coady Photography / Jeff Coady

FAVORED WIN WILLY WINS $75,000 FIFTH SEASON IN HEART STOPPER - HOT SPRINGS, AR (Sunday, Jan.16, 2011) – Jer-Mar Stable’s Win Willy may have had all his backers that made him the heavy 3-5 favorite on the edge of their seats, but in the end there was no doubt who the winner was of Sunday’s $75,000 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Despite a slow early pace, Win Willy used his normal come from behind style to prevail by a neck over Stachys in 1:46 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track. - Coady Photography / Sunny Taylor

MAZUCAMBERA PULLS UPSET IN DIXIE BELLE STAKES - HOT SPRINGS, AR - Jan. 15, 2011 – Plum Lake Racing LLC’s Mazucambera, went from claim to fame by adjusting her running style in time to get a come-from-behind victory in Saturday’s $50,000 Dixie Belle Stakes, the opening day feature at Oaklawn Park. - Coady Photography / Jeff Coady

Wintry Weather Shifts Opening Day at Oaklawn to Saturday - Hot Springs, AR - Jan. 14, 2011 - Oaklawn has made the decision to cancel Friday’s opening day program due to lingering affects from six inches of snow that fell last Sunday and bitterly cold temperatures that have kept the track closed for training since Monday.

Oaklawn Park Gears Up for Another Record Meet - Special Report - Jan. 13, 2011 - Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., is firmly ensconced on the national racing scene for its lucrative purses, top racing outfits and the unveiling of rising stars on the 3-year-old Derby scene.

Stars Beginning to Arrive for Live Meet; Archarcharch Wins Sugar Bowl Stakes; Readies for Smarty Jones at Oaklawn - Hot Springs, AR - Dec. 21, 2010 - Many of the stars for the 2011 live racing season have already made their presence known in Hot Springs. The arrival of such names as D. Wayne Lukas, Larry Jones, Steve Hobby and others, lets all in the area know that the live meet is right around the corner.

2009 Oaklawn Handicap Purse Redistributed - Dec. 9, 2010 - Following a ruling by the Circuit Court of Pulaski County, the Estate of Edmund A. Gann has returned the winning purse from the 2009 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II), originally paid to the connections of It's a Bird. The son of Birdonthewire had been disqualified by the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Trainer Larry Jones coming out of retirement - November 12, 2010 - Havre de Grace, who was third in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies' Classic, and Joyful Victory, the fifth-place finisher in the BC Juvenile Fillies, are among five horses that Rick Porter plans to transfer from trainer Tony Dutrow to Larry Jones for the Oaklawn Park meet that opens in January.

Calvin Borel Among Next Class Going Into Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame- Oct. 24, 2010 - Famed thoroughbred jockey Calvin Borel, a regular rider at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, are among the 11 new inductees into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

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