Oaklawn Stakes Schedule: Southwest Purse Increased to $1 Million

The purse for Oaklawn's Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, which was clinched this year by future Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan, has been raised from $800,000 to $1 million.

As the second of four Kentucky Derby points races to be held at Oaklawn, the Southwest Stakes is set for Saturday, January 25, next year. It will join the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) and the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) as part of the seven-figure preparations leading to the first race of the Triple Crown.

The series will commence on Saturday, January 4, with the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes. The Rebel is on the schedule for Saturday, February 22, while the Arkansas Derby will take place on Saturday, March 29. The Smarty Jones, Southwest, and Rebel Stakes will all be contested at a distance of 1 1/16 miles, whereas the Arkansas Derby will cover 1 1/8 miles.

Purses for races awarding points for the Kentucky Oaks have also seen an increase, with the Honeybee Stakes (G3) rising by $100,000 to a total of $500,000 and the Martha Washington Stakes elevated to $300,000. The Martha Washington, which starts off the series, will take place alongside the Southwest Stakes on January 25. The Honeybee is set to accompany the Rebel Stakes program on February 22. Both races serve as preparatory events for the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2), which this year helped launch Kentucky Oaks winner and likely 3-year-old filly champion Thorpedo Anna.

"With the successes of Arkansas-owned Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna, the data speaks for itself, confirming what we’ve asserted for several years," said Oaklawn president Louis Cella. "Oaklawn provides the best environment for horsemen to prepare Thoroughbreds for future achievements. This year alone, our horses won the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, while Seize the Grey played a key role in a trifecta at the Preakness Stakes of horses that had raced at Oaklawn."

In addition to 47 traditional stakes races amounting to a total of $16.2 million in purses, Oaklawn has also introduced 10 new restricted overnight stakes races, each offering a purse of $145,000. This brings the overall total to $17.65 million. Many of these overnight stakes races will enhance the race cards on major race days, including Southwest Stakes Day, Rebel Stakes Day, and Arkansas Derby Day.

During the three-day Arkansas Derby racing week from March 28-30, 10 stakes races will take place. Kicking off Friday is the 1 1/2-mile $200,000 Temperance Hill for older horses, along with the $145,000 La Patourel Overnight Stakes for older fillies and mares. The Arkansas Derby Day lineup on Saturday will feature the Arkansas Derby, the Fantasy, the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3), the $250,000 Matron, and two $145,000 Overnight Stakes: the American Pharoah and the Eclipse. The Sunday card will showcase the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for 3-year-olds and the $145,000 Southern Hospitality Overnight Stakes.

Notable races in Oaklawn’s 2024-25 stakes schedule include the $1,250,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares on Saturday, April 12, and the $1,250,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on Saturday, April 19.

Prep races for the Apple Blossom consist of the $250,000 Bayakoa (G3) on Saturday, February 8, and the $400,000 Azeri (G2) on Saturday, March 8. Preps for the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) include the $500,000 Razorback (G3) on February 22 and the $500,000 Essex (G3) on March 22. The $250,000 Whitmore (G3) is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, and the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) will take place on April 12. Additionally, the Oaklawn Mile will be one of the three supporting stakes races for the Arkansas Derby Day card on March 29.

The 2024-25 season at Oaklawn will begin on Friday, December 6, and run through Saturday, May 3. Racing will primarily occur on a Friday-Sunday schedule, with some exceptions, including races on Monday, January 20 (Martin Luther King Day) and Monday, February 17 (Presidents' Day). There will be no racing on Super Bowl Sunday, February 9, and Easter Sunday, April 20.