Favorite Havre de Grace, Fox Hill Farms' daughter of Saint Liam, wins the grade I Apple Blossom Handicap by 3/4-length over Switch.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Oaklawn Park will give a Zenyatta bobblehead doll to each paid admmission to the Hot Springs, Ark., racetrack on the Martin Luther King holiday card of Monday, Jan. 17.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Oaklawn Park has announced a 32-stakes program totaling $4.6 million for the 56-day meet that begins Jan. 14, 2011.
Friday, August 20, 2010
While rejoicing in the afterglow of Zenyatta's memorable triumphs, we should not let the greatness of Rachel Alexandra dim after all she did for the sport last year.
Zenyatta remained perfect after winning the 2010 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.
Zenyatta tied Citation and Cigar with her 16th consecutive win April 9 in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Invitational (gr. I), blowing past her four rivals under Mike Smith at Oaklawn Park for another easy victory.
Friday, April 09, 2010
HRTV will offer onsite coverage April 9 and 10 for the Apple Blossom (gr. I), featuring unbeaten champion Zenyatta, and the $1 million Arkansas Derby, a key Kentucky Derby prep race.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Compared to what it was supposed to look like, the field for the April 9 Apple Blossom Invitational Handicap (gr. I) is a major disappointment. A field of only five, led by undefeated two-time champion Zenyatta, was drawn.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
An eventful weekend of racing ended with some new Kentucky Derby contenders and Apple Blossom disappoinment...
Steve Haskin's personal diary as preparations begin for the Apple Blossom.
As expected, 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and two-time champion Zenyatta were chief among the 45 fillies and mares nominated to the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park April 9.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Steve Haskin's personal diary as preparations begin for the Apple Blossom.
In her final workout for the March 13 New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds, Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra breezed four furlongs in :49 under regular exercise rider Dominic Terry.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Increases include a $500 increase for claiming races, and $2,000 for maiden special weight and allowance events. No purse at Oaklawn will be less than $15,500 for the remainder of the 2010 meet.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Horse of the Year recorded her first in-company work of 2010, and her second to last scheduled move before an expected start in the March 13 New Orleans Ladies Handicap.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Two-time champion Zenyatta turned her third consecutive six-furlong breeze at Hollywood Park Feb. 26 as she continues to prepare for her 6-year-old debut in the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) in two weeks.
Friday, February 26, 2010
A major TV network deal is pending and the race will be carried during prime time...
Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra had her furthest workout this season Feb. 24 in advance of the March 13 New Orleans Ladies Stakes, breezing a business-like six furlongs in 1:14 over a fast main track at Fair Grounds.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
In one of the first promotions for the Apple Blossom Invitational (gr. I), Oaklawn Park, the Hot Springs (Arkansas) Convention and Visitors Bureau is printing 50,000 trading cards of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Is Charles Cella 'overpaying' to bring Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta together?
Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella said the owners of both champions agreed Feb. 11 to run their horses in the Apple Blossom Invitational Handicap (gr. I) on a new date of April 9, for a $5 million purse.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Jess Jackson said Rachel Alexandra won't run against undefeated champion Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom (gr. I), but he proposed a three-race series in which the two talented female runners would meet.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
In her second work of the week, reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra breezes four furlongs in :50 3/5 Feb. 6 in New Orleans.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Oaklawn Park president Charles J. Cella has upped the purse of the April 3 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) to $5 million provided champions Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta both start.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Oaklawn Park made all the right moves with their big Apple Blossom announcement. They put up the money, the changed the distance, and in short they dangled one heckuva carrot in front of Jess Jackson and Jerry and Ann Moss.
Darley Stable's Seventh Street broke to an early lead and never looked back, coasting to a dominating 5 3/4-length victory in the $490,00 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) April 4 at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Helen Alexander and Helen Groves' homebred Acoma has been terrific in her last three wins and now the 4-year-old Empire Maker filly will try to add a grade I victory to her resume when facing a short field in the $500,000 Apple Blossom April 4 at Oaklawn Park.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Ginger Punch, last year's champion older female, had her first work since winning the Louisville Stakes (gr.II) on the morning of May 16 at Belmont Park.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Zenyatta extended her unbeaten streak to four races and defeated a champion in doing so when she took the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park April 5.
Saturday, April 05, 2008Round Pond, who won last year's Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff, is retired with a slab fracture.
Monday, April 09, 2007Stronach Stables homebred Spun Sugar gamely held off Happy Ticket in a stretch duel to win Saturday's $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) before 29,841 at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, April 08, 2006Trainer D. Wayne Lukas brought former champion Azeri all the way back Saturday to capture the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) in smart front-running fashion over a strong field at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, April 03, 2004The Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park Saturday promises to be one of the more intriguing matchups of the year as six older fillies and mares have been entered, including grade I winners Azeri, Wild Spirit, Island Fashion, and Star Parade.
Thursday, April 01, 2004Everest Stable's multiple grade I winner Island Fashion will make her next start in Saturday's $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park, trainer Marcelo Polanco said.
Sunday, March 28, 2004Azeri breezed five furlongs in :58 3/5 Wednesday at Santa Anita under the watchful eye of owner Michael Paulson.
Wednesday, March 03, 2004Everest Stables' homebred Island Fashion, who has two consecutive grade I victories to her credit, was scratched out of Monday's $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) at Santa Anita in favor of another grade I with a bigger purse.
Monday, February 16, 2004Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year, had her first official workout in the care of her new trainer, D. Wayne Lukas Sunday morning, breezing three furlongs in :35 1/5.
Sunday, February 08, 2004Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year, is progressing under new trainer D. Wayne Lukas and could defend her title in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park on April 3, according to owner Michael Paulson, who was at Santa Anita Thursday morning.
Thursday, January 15, 2004Making her first start since being crowned Horse of the Year for 2002, Azeri wore down pacesetter Take Charge Lady for a game head victory in Saturday's grade I, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Saturday, April 05, 2003Reigning Horse of the Year Azeri returns Saturday at Oaklawn Park against a solid field that includes multiple Grade 1 winner Take Charge Lady.
Tuesday, April 01, 2003Nominations have closed for the four races at Oaklawn Park during its Racing Festival of the South. Medaglia d'Oro and Congaree are nominated to the Oaklawn Handicap.
Wednesday, March 26, 2003A pair of cool California invaders made their way deep into the Ozark Mountains for the opening weekend of Oaklawn Park's Racing Festival of the South and came away the big winners. For the first time in Festival history, Oaklawn featured the Oaklawn and Apple Blossom Handicaps, both grade I and worth $500,000 each, on the same card, making April 6 the richest day ever in Arkansas racing.
Saturday, April 06, 2002Trainer Richard Jackson on Wednesday declared Remington Rock a non-starter for Saturday's Oaklawn Handicap (gr. I) due to sickness. The defection of Remington Rock from Oaklawn Park's Saturday co-feature leaves an expected field of eight for the 1 1/8-mile race.
Wednesday, April 03, 2002Jockey Pat Day will ride D. Wayne Lukas-trained Spain for the first time since winning the Turfway Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) in September of 2000 in the $500,000 Apple Blossom (gr. I) on April 6 at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, March 30, 2002Lu Ravi fell just short of attaining her grade I goal when she finished second to Gourmet Girl in the April 8 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park. Now with $1,819,781 in earnings, eight stakes wins, and three second-place finishes in grade I races, trainer Carl Bowman and owner Yoshio Fujita have retired the 6-year-old mare.
Wednesday, April 25, 2001If it were just that Heritage of Gold and Lu Ravi were continuing their rivalry in Sunday's $500,000 Apple Blossom, that would be enough of a story, but this race may very well be the best filly and mare race in the country this year. Heritage of Gold and Lu Ravi have finished one-two, in that order, in all three of their Oaklawn meetings, but this time they will have to face Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Spain, who has to carry the topweight of 122 pounds.
Saturday, April 07, 2001
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