Oaklawn has signed a non-exclusive agreement with TVG to televise its races. Also, its signal is expected to be sent to Europe as part of an agreement with Greenwood Racing.
Oaklawn Park raises the curtain on its 54-day meet Friday in the heart of Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. The oval first saw racing in 1905.Due to a new tax break, simulcast betting, and the growth of electronic pari-mutuel racing game Instant Racing, Oaklawn's purse structure will rise dramatically this year. The average should hit in the $230,000-$250,000 range daily, up from last year's $212,000.Oaklawn's biggest racing day will be April 6, when it runs the meet's two grade I contests, the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap and the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap. The Racing Festival of the South begins one day earlier, and concludes with the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (gr. II) for 3-year-olds April 13. In all, 25 stakes worth $3.25 million will be run.
