HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A decision to expand the meet has proven to be the right move for Oaklawn Park, which experienced an increase handle during its 68-date season that closed Saturday. Oaklawn added December dates in 2021 in a meet that continued to May 2022, and repeated the formula this season. Plans are to again race from December to May, said Oaklawn president Lou Cella. Oaklawn handled an average of $6,671,036 a day on its race this meet from all sources, up from $6,232,771 during the 66-date meet last season. “At the end of the day, we are delighted our attendance is up, our ontrack handle is up, and our offtrack handle is up,” Cella said. “What that means is our fans have responded to our new schedule and America’s racing fans have responded to our new schedule.” Cella said another key component of the successful meet was “points and purses.” Oaklawn had four points races for the Kentucky Derby – topped by the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby, won by Angel of Empire. The stakes, along with other high-end races throughout the season, led to 10 horses who raced this meet at Oaklawn advancing to the Kentucky Derby. :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  “This is a testament to our racing office,” Cella said prior to the Kentucky Derby. “From Sunny’s Halo" -- the 1983 Arkansas Derby winner who went on the win the Kentucky Derby -- "we typically had one or two and a bubble horse. Having 10 Oaklawn representatives in the Derby, three in the Oaks, we’re so very proud of our racing office. “It’s amazing for little Hot Springs. Points and purses, that’s what it’s all about.” Purses at the meet averaged well north of $700,000 a card, and the purse fund is expected to be larger for next season, according to Cella. “We’re looking 2023-2024 as being a spectacular year as it relates to purses,” he said.  Oaklawn plans to open on Dec. 8, 2023, and race 66 dates through May 4, 2024. Arkansas Derby Day will be March 30. Cella said the one primary deviation from last year’s schedule is that there will be no Sunday card April 7, the day before a total solar eclipse on Monday. “It goes right over Hot Springs,” he said. Cella said the local chamber of commerce anticipates the community will draw a large amount of spectators and, because of a variety of unknown factors related to the eclipse, Oaklawn is not racing April 7. The track will race Friday through Sunday most weeks, but has Monday cards Jan. 1 and Feb. 19 and will again add Thursday cards in March. There will be no racing Dec. 22-24 in observance of Christmas. For the meet that closed Saturday, the leading owner was the partnership of Heath Aaron and Sheena Campbell, with 17 wins from 67 starters. Their stable earned $420,531. The leading owner by earnings was Godolphin with $1.4 million. Robertino Diodoro won the training title with 61 wins from 266 starts. His stable earned $2.9 million. The leading trainer by stable earning was Steve Asmussen with $5.1 million. Asmussen, who became the first trainer to reach 10,000 wins in North America when he won a Feb. 20 race at Oaklawn, had 56 victories at the meet, from 414 starters. Cristian Torres was the meet’s leading rider by both wins and mount earnings, with 100 victories from 487 starters for mount earnings of $6.1 million. Oaklawn had a number of special-event days, which helped drive attendance despite a meet in which wet weather was a constant, particularly in March. The track, which puts out estimated attendance figures since it stopped charging admission several years ago, regularly drew 25,000 to 35,000 patrons on Saturdays. Attendance for Arkansas Derby Day was an estimated 65,000. Patrons also came out in large numbers for Hall of Fame Day, when 19 members of the National Racing Hall of Fame were at Oaklawn on March 18. An autograph session drew over 800 people, said Cella. “Having done this day two years in a row, they Hall of Famers have just as much fun together as our fans,” Cella said. Oaklawn donated $2,500 in the name of each Hall of Famer who was part of the event to charity, for a total of $47,500, with the funds tabbed for the charity of their choosing. Cella said the event will return at a yet-to-be determined date in 2024. Before the meet next season, Oaklawn will conduct a national search for a new track announcer after parting ways with Vic Stauffer. Jim Byers, who is the voice of Lone Star Park, filled in for the final stages of the meet. Also before next season, Oaklawn plans to replace the base of its track in scheduled maintenance that should last about 15 years, said Cella. There are also plans to redo the vehicle tunnel on the first turn of the track. The projects will be the most significant during the offseason for Oaklawn, which in recent years has expanded its casino and constructed a hotel.   Cella said two new incentive programs that rewarded owners and trainers for starts at the meet will return next season. He said the trainer program will result in about $750,000 in bonus funds to trainers and the owners program, launched the last month of the meet, will award around $500,000. Oaklawn averaged a notable 8.7 starters a race this meet, which was on par with last season. The track’s 649 races this season had 5,656 starters. Claiming activity remained fierce, with 556 horses claimed for $10.6 million in transactions between stables this meet at Oaklawn. “Oaklawn is moving on all cylinders,” said Cella.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.