Arkansas racing

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--The mercurial Louis I. Kahn said that, "The sun never knew how great it was until it hit the side of a building." For something a touch more vernacular, the master architect was still no less pithy when he reminded us that, "Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces." Oaklawn Park, ever the innovator in the world of horse racing, has faithfully scooped up Kahn's architectural spirit. They have put thought into a blueprint that can change their backside for the future and it starts in the form...

For the majority of the previous century Aggies tried to gig'em some Horns, Bears attempted to boil the Owls, Red Raiders fired at Horned Frogs, and the Coogs, the Stangs and 'dem Hogs rounded out what were some raucous match-ups in the bygone era of the Southwest Conference. As the saying went for those Texas college sports teams who were joined by the University of Arkansas, "If you're going to compete, you might as well win." Well, the old conference may have broken up back in the 90s, but you...

Due to inclement weather with projected temperatures ranging between 14 and 30 degrees, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of both equine and human athletes, Oaklawn Park has canceled live racing scheduled for this weekend, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, which includes the GIII Southwest Stakes on Saturday, the Arkansas track said via a Tuesday release. All affected race days and associated events will be rescheduled for the following weekend, Feb. 5-8. The rescheduled weekend will offer the richest purse structure in North American racing, highlighted by championship-caliber...

Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony reached 300 career wins at Oaklawn Park when favored Brunia (Tekton) broke her maiden in the 10th and final race on Friday's 2025-2026 opening day card, a press release from the track said on Saturday. Brunia, an Arkansas homebred for Anthony's Shortleaf Stable, is trained by Lindsay Schultz. Anthony, 86, reached 299 career Oaklawn victories last March when 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Quietside (Malibu Moon) captured the GII Fantasy Stakes. The Fantasy was also Anthony's record 40th career Oaklawn stakes victory. The late...

In the first oral argument since the United States Supreme Court remanded three lawsuits related to the constitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) back to their originating appeals courts five months ago, a panel of three judges on the Sixth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Wednesday heard from lawyers on both sides in a case that alleges the HISA Act gives a "private corporation broad regulatory authority." This same Sixth Circuit panel, back on Mar. 3, 2023, already upheld a lower court's...

Oaklawn Park is promoting Zack Gillham to Vice President of Racing & Wagering, while Jason Milligan will assume the role of Director of Racing, the track said via a press release on Thursday morning. In his expanded position, Gillham will oversee all aspects of Oaklawn's racing and sports wagering operations. A member of the Hot Springs team for over eight years, he most recently served as Executive Director of Wagering. Milligan, the former Vice President of Racing, has been with Oaklawn's equine operations for the past 28 years.

Staton Flurry wanted to park that trophy on his shelf. He wanted to win the Oaklawn Park owner's title so badly he could taste it. The hometown product who calls Hot Springs his backyard and sports that wide grin, knew the race was going to be a good old-fashioned Arkansas throwdown. Flurry sweated it, stayed up late strategizing and for months did everything humanly within the rules to secure the prize. Let's put it this way, if he had a jockey's license he might have donned his distinctive black and...