In a move believed to be unprecedented in American racing history, Oaklawn will split the 84th running of the Gr1 Arkansas Derby Saturday, May 2.
Thanks to the cooperation of Churchill Downs, both divisions will carry the full 170 qualifying points for the Gr1 Kentucky Derby.
The Arkansas Derby was originally scheduled to have a purse of $1,000,000. Under the provisions of the split, each division will have a purse of $500,000.
In making the announcement, Oaklawn President Louis Cella said:
“Because of our national crisis, we and the entire world of sports are in unchartered waters requiring unprecedented actions. We’re trying to make the best of a very, very difficult situation. On the one hand, it is the worst of times to be racing without fans in our grandstand. On the other, we have a large number of exceptional three-year-olds wanting to run in our Arkansas Derby. We simply did not want to see anyone lose that opportunity.”
A total of 22 horses are expected to go to post between the two divisions, including winners of the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the Gr2 Rebel Stakes, the Gr2 Tampa Bay Derby, and the Gr2 Louisiana Derby.
The qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby will still be allocated to the top four finishers in each race.
Because of Covid-19, Oaklawn has been racing without fans since March 13, a crippling blow since it is the largest tourism venue in Arkansas.
