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Thursday, May 03, 2012
Creative Cause’s trainer, Mike Harrington - age 71, and owner, Heinz Steinmann - age 80, seek to turn back the clock this Cinco de Mayo, as did Sea Hero’s Derby winning connections back in 1993 (see below).
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Monday, April 30, 2012
My Creative Cause for this year's Kentucky Derby contains some international flare.
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Friday, April 13, 2012
Welcome to the last Derby dance Saturday! While the Arkansas Derby itself seems to be coming up lighter than in recent years, there are some BIG names running at the "Spa of the South" tomorrow.
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Racing Festival of the South was inaugurated in 1974 by Oaklawn Park and owner Charles Cella with a stakes race each day ...
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Saturday, March 17, 2012
Travelers to Oaklawn Park for this afternoon's Rebel Stakes are in for quite a treat with a large festive crowd, great horses and even green beer.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
After seeing a few of The Southwest contenders stretch their legs over the Oaklawn oval on a picture perfect Hot Springs morning, I have a few observations.
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Friday, February 03, 2012
Calvin “Bo Bo” Borel just couldn’t resist the lure of budding three year-olds at Oaklawn Park, where he picked up the mount on Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver in 2010. His agent Jerry Hissam recently announced that the 45 year-old Cajun jockey with the famous ear to ear grin will be moving his tack from short-lived Gulfstream Park effective this weekend. There is no doubt he will receive a rousing welcome – much deserved at that – from the soggy Oaklawn railbirds come post time Saturday.
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Friday, January 20, 2012
Oaklawn Park opened its gates to a festive crowd of more than 18,000 fans last Friday at the National Park location in Hot Springs, Arkansas. And the first race was quite a statement race for apprentice rider Alex Canchari, who registered his first career victory aboard Run Mama Beare Run. By the end of the day there were whispers amongst the railbirds of iconic Oaklawn Hall of Famer Pat Day, as young Alex had claimed the leading rider title with two wins from just two starts!
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Eric Kords, the man behind 12th Crown, previews the Road to the Roses via Arkansas and all things Oaklawn Park...
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Friday, December 16, 2011
Rest in peace, our dear friends ...
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Meet Eric Kords
Eric is a historian of thoroughbred racing at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas and across the country. He has witnessed in person nearly every significant race that has occurred at Oaklawn Park since the mid-1980’s including such recent Eclipse champions as Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, Lookin at Lucky, Summer Bird and Curlin, classic performers including Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones, Victory Gallop, Lil’ E Tee, Pine Bluff and Grindstone, top handicap champions Cigar, Lawyer Ron and Best Pal, and finally Distaff champions the likes of Azeri, Bayakoa, Paseana, Escena and Ginger Punch.
Eric has also attended the most historically significant races across the country including the 2010 Breeders' Cup featuring Zenyatta’s epic finale, 2008 Breeders' Cup featuring Curlin’s final race, the Eclipse clinching victory by Rachel Alexandra against the boys in the 2009 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, 2010 Preakness Stakes won by Eclipse champion Lookin at Lucky, 2004 Belmont Stakes where Smarty Jones was denied the Triple Crown by Birdstone, 1996 Pacific Classic at Del Mar where Cigar’s 16 consecutive win streak ended at the hooves of Dare and Go, Jim Dandy Stakes and Travers Stakes at Saratoga, Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park and Summit of Speed Festival at Calder just to name the most memorable. Eric now resides in Dallas, TX and counts Oaklawn Park, The Fair Grounds and Lone Star Park as his “home tracks.” He has recently entered the thoroughbred owner ranks with the launch of his Saturday Racing Syndicate.