(BPT) - Oaklawn will open its 2026-2027 Thoroughbred racing season earlier than ever before, introducing a new Thanksgiving weekend tradition and nearly five months of racing that could give fans two early looks at the next Kentucky Derby champion.
The season begins Friday, Nov. 27, marking the earliest opening day in Oaklawn history. Across its Holiday Racing and Classic Racing meets, Oaklawn will offer 61 stakes races worth a record $18.79 million, with approximately $60 million in total purses.
The Holiday Racing meet runs Nov. 27 through Jan. 10, followed by the Classic Racing meet from Jan. 22 through May 1. The season builds toward a spring racing calendar featuring four $1.5 million stakes races, including two major stops on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
"For four generations, our family has worked to make Oaklawn a place where great horses come to compete," said Louis A. Cella, Oaklawn president. "With the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby each offering $1.5 million, we essentially have two derbies on our calendar this season. Their timing gives more of the nation's top Kentucky Derby prospects an opportunity to compete at Oaklawn, and our fans two incredible chances to see racing's next great champions."
Two $1.5 million races, one road to the Kentucky Derby
Before the horses enter the starting gate at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, some of the nation's most promising three-year-olds will have their sights set on Hot Springs.
Oaklawn will host two of the spring's major Kentucky Derby prep races: the $1.5 million Rebel Stakes on Saturday, March 13, and the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday, April 10. Each race offers a chance to see emerging stars compete for major purses and establish themselves as contenders for the most celebrated race in American Thoroughbred racing.
The Rebel Stakes has a history of showcasing future champions. In 2015, American Pharoah won the Rebel before returning to capture the Arkansas Derby and going on to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Smarty Jones followed a similar path in 2004, winning both Oaklawn races before capturing the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
With the Rebel seven weeks before the Kentucky Derby and the Arkansas Derby just three weeks out, the two races occupy important positions on the national racing calendar. Their timing creates opportunities for contenders following different paths to Churchill Downs, while giving Oaklawn fans two major occasions to see horses whose names could soon become part of racing history.
The excitement begins even earlier with the Smarty Jones Stakes and Southwest Stakes, as promising young Thoroughbreds begin competing for a place among the nation's leading Kentucky Derby prospects.
A championship showcase beyond the Triple Crown
The excitement continues beyond the Kentucky Derby trail, with two of Oaklawn's signature races receiving significant purse increases for 2027.
On Saturday, April 17, the Apple Blossom Handicap and Oaklawn Handicap will each offer $1.5 million following $250,000 purse increases, bringing another major weekend of racing to Hot Springs just one week after the Arkansas Derby.
The Apple Blossom, one of the nation's established races for older fillies and mares, also carries an added incentive this year. As a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" qualifying race, its winner will earn an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff. The Oaklawn Handicap provides another major stage for established Thoroughbreds competing at the highest levels of the sport.
Together, the April 10 and April 17 programs will feature four $1.5 million stakes races, bringing $6 million in combined purses to Hot Springs over consecutive Saturdays and giving racing fans an opportunity to see both rising stars and accomplished champions.
"Our commitment extends well beyond any one race or weekend," said Cella. "From the Kentucky Derby trail to some of the nation's most prestigious races for established champions, we've built a season that brings exceptional competition to Hot Springs. That's what makes Oaklawn special, and it's what we continue to build on year after year."
More than a day at the races
From a historic Black Friday opening and the chance to see future Kentucky Derby champions to a spring lineup featuring some of the sport's most prestigious races, Oaklawn's 2026-2027 season gives fans more reasons than ever to experience Thoroughbred racing in Hot Springs.
And the experience extends well beyond the track. Oaklawn combines luxury accommodations, exceptional dining, gaming, entertainment and a Forbes Four-Star spa with the unique charm of Hot Springs.
For visitors, that means the opportunity to turn a day at the races into something much bigger: a chance to experience one of Thoroughbred racing's most anticipated seasons at one of the sport's most distinctive destinations - Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
