The complexion of the Triple Crown trail will change next year as Oaklawn Park announced Tuesday that the Arkansas Derby will be run five weeks ahead of the Kentucky Derby on April 2 instead of its traditional three weeks out, and that the purse of the Grade 1 race would be boosted from $1 million to a Derby prep-high $1.25 million. Oaklawn also is moving up the dates of its other Kentucky Derby points races for the meet that opens Dec. 3. The Smarty Jones – boosted to $250,000 in value from $150,000 – will be held Jan. 1. The Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest is Jan. 29 and the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel is Feb. 26. “Historically, Oaklawn’s 3-year-old series has offered the most Kentucky Derby qualifying points of any track in the country,” Lou Cella, president of Oaklawn, said in a press release. “With the extra timing between races and added purse money, we believe Oaklawn will only grow as the place to prepare for the Triple Crown races.” Oaklawn announced the changes as part of a calendar of 36 stakes worth a track-record $12.3 million. The track has expanded its meet by opening in December rather than in late January. The move has positioned Oaklawn to conduct its first stakes for 2-year-olds since 1973. The $150,000 Advent for 2-year-olds at six furlongs is the opening day feature Dec. 3. It’s one of five new stakes. The $150,000 Mistletoe is for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth Dec. 4. The $150,000 Poinsettia is for 3-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth Dec. 11. The $200,000 Tinsel is for 3-year-olds and up over a mile and an eighth Dec. 18. And, the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes is for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares at a mile May 6. :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analysis, and expert picks. “When racing begins on December 3, fans will get to experience our new hotel overlooking the racetrack, a world class spa, new event center, and endless casino action,” Wayne Smith, general manager of Oaklawn, said in a press release. The Arkansas Derby, which will again be run at a mile and an eighth, will headline a card of five stakes that includes the $600,000 Fantasy, a traditional points race for the Kentucky Oaks. The card will also include the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile, $200,000 Carousel, and $150,000 Temperence Hill. The Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet will be showcased on its own card April 16. Oaklawn will bundle three major stakes on April 23: The Grade 1, $1 million Apple Blossom, the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap, and the $150,000 Oaklawn Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile and an eighth. Oaklawn is scheduled to race 66 dates through May 8, compared to its typical 57-date calendar. There is no racing Dec. 24-26 in observance of Christmas and on April 17 for Easter.