In the midst of a multi-million expansion, Oaklawn starts its 116th live racing season today, and attendees can expect to see changes around the track as well as record purses.
"First off, when (race attendees) come in the building, we've made a lot of changes to our grandstands," Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith said. "We've tried to enhance our food product, we've also tried to enhance the food experience, so a lot of things are happening on that front."
Smith said attendees will also see new barns on the backside of the track and, when sitting in the grandstands, the scenery has changed dramatically due to the hotel being visible on the first turn of the track.
According to an Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort news release, the 57-day race season is highlighted by a record $35 million in total purses, 33 stakes races, including four $1 million stakes, new promotions and more infield days.
"The purses have really risen and have made us one of the top race tracks in the country, particularly around this time of year. We believe there is no better racing in North America except for Oaklawn at this time of year, so our purses have a lot to do with that," Smith said.
"We have the best horsemen," he said, "and because of that we also have the best owners that are sending their horses in and so from a racing perspective there's no place better to be than Oaklawn."
Smith said the 2020 race season will be a "new level of racing all the way around."
"It's just an amazing time for Oaklawn (with) tremendous horse participation, tremendous ownership participation (and) we have unbelievable racing over the first weekend of our race meet -- the best in the country," he said. "We're averaging over 10 horses per race, which is unheard of in our industry today, so we're just extremely excited about the things that are happening at Oaklawn."
With its $100 million expansion underway, parking has changed significantly from last year's meet.
Oaklawn Media Relations Manager Jennifer Hoyt said in an email the main parking lot will be dedicated to "preferred" parking permit holders, with the exception of the back row of one lot.
The lot that will offer a few spaces to the public will only be accessible from Golf Links Road, and will be the back row of the large lot on the right-hand side in front of the Team Member lot, Hoyt said.
"Anyone who does not have a preferred parking permit displayed on their rearview mirror will be turned away from the entrance on Central," she said.
Hoyt noted that "preferred permits" are sold out for 2020.
Additionally, she said the north lot and the west lots, located across from Oaklawn on Central, will continue to be paid, public lots at $2 per vehicle.
"We are asking guests to 'hang in there' during the inconvenience of expansion construction -- it will all be worth it when we're finished," she said.
Hoyt told The Sentinel-Record last summer that once the resort's expansion is complete, 280 parking spots will be added to the original amount.
Today is also the soft opening of the newly expanded casino, marking the first debut of the resort's expansion.
"The casino's coming along great; we anticipate to open the first part of the expansion of the casino (today) at 8 a.m., so that's on pace," Smith said. "Our high limit will open sometime Presidents Day weekend and then everything else, from the resort perspective, from restaurants during the summer to the hotel around Christmas of next year, and then the event center sometime this time next year, as well."
In November 2018, Oaklawn announced a more than $100 million expansion that includes a high-rise hotel, event center, and 28,000-square-foot gaming floor expansion, among other additions. The project broke ground May 6, 2019, following the end of last year's live meet.
Local on 01/24/2020