Wayne Smith

Oaklawn Jockey Club in Hot Springs named Matt Dinerman as the new track announcer for the upcoming Thoroughbred racing season, which begins December 8, the organization said in a release early Friday morning. Dinerman, 31, comes to Hot Springs following a six-year stint as the track announcer at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California. He has also served as track announcer at the Sonoma County Fair meet in Santa Rosa, California, for the past two years. "I'm honored to be selected for such a prestigious role, following in the footsteps...

With extreme cold temperatures and the possibility of ice in and around Hot Springs, Arkansas, Oaklawn park has cancelled its live racing programs from Saturday, Feb. 13 through Monday, Feb. 15, and will reschedule the three graded and one listed stakes that were set to take place. "The weather forecast does not look promising this weekend between the ice and frigid temperatures, so out of consideration for the safety of the horses, our horsemen and fans, we wanted to make this call as soon as possible," Oaklawn General Manager Wayne...

The 57-day meeting at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, AR, is set to be conducted with a limited number of spectators, pursuant to the directives of the Arkansas Department of Health. "We've been working on plans covering numerous scenarios and we're happy to announce we will be welcoming back race fans in 2021, albeit on a limited basis," General Manager Wayne Smith said. "We know that the fans are what make Oaklawn so special, but our main concern is for the safety and well-being of our guests and team members....

Jason Milligan has been promoted to Vice President of Racing at Oaklawn Park, effective immediately. "We are so happy to have Jason step into the role of Vice President of Racing," General Manager Wayne Smith said. "Having a career of over 25 years here, 11 as Director of Operations, Jason truly knows the ins and outs of all things Oaklawn. He has worked closely and built great relationships with the racing office, racing officials, and horsemen and we look forward to the knowledge and enthusiasm he will bring." A Hot...

Oaklawn Park, which opened last Friday, posted strong opening week handle and attendance numbers, including record opening day and January handle. Estimated total attendance for the first three racing dates (Jan. 24-26) was 57,500, a 3.6% increase over the corresponding period last year. Total off-track handle of $12,787,682.84 increased 13.1%. Total all sources handle of $15,400,631.44 represented a 7.7% increase. Opening day all-sources handle $5,789,986.10 and off-track handle $4,759,768 were both Oaklawn records, as was the January off-track record of $4,629,703.63 set last year. "What a great weekend to start...