A Record Oaklawn Meet Begins Dec. 8 With Advent Stakes

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., opens its doors Dec. 8 to commence a winter/spring race meet boasting a record $60 million in purses. The lucrative race meet, which runs next Friday through May 4, 2024, kicks off with a 10-race card highlighted by the $150,000 Advent Stakes for 2-year-olds.

The five-and-a-half-furlong Advent drew a field of 12 for its third running opening day. A pair of stakes winners, Sweet Soddy J  and Molly's Town , bring black-type cred to the Advent but race favoritism could easily land upon the Wesley Ward-trained Spirit's Mischief .

A son of Into Mischief  , Spirit's Mischief dominated his foes in his maiden victory last time out over a sloppy Keeneland track. Ridden by Gerardo Corrales, who also is aboard the colt in the Advent, Spirit's Mischief vied for early contention before splashing home a 4 1/4-length winner of a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf maiden special weight contest. He was third in his debut Sept. 29 on the turf at Churchill Downs.

Running for the colors of respected owner and breeder John Oxley, Spirit's Mischief exits two bullet works at Keeneland on Nov. 18 (half-mile in :47 2/5) and Nov. 26  (five furlongs in 1:01 1/5). The $350,000 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale grad breaks from the 1 post on Friday and will likely try to use his early speed to his advantage to wrest the lead.

Yearly Oaklawn training fixtures Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett will each saddle starters in the Advent.

Moquett enters the colt who defeated Spirit's Mischief in his first start, the speedy Ceepeegee . A son of Army Mule  , Ceepeegee returns to the dirt after finishing seventh over the surface in his debut at Ellis Park in August.

Ten-time Oaklawn leading trainer Asmussen will send out the promising Justify   colt Valentine Candy . A front-running winner in his unveiling at Saratoga Race Course over the summer, Valentine Candy was a disappointing ninth in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) before rebounding with a runner-up finish in a six-furlong allowance optional claimer at Keeneland. Wheeling back at the Lexington oval three weeks later, he ran evenly to grab third in the Bowman Mill Stakes.

Valentine Candy is one of two for Asmussen, who also has B4 Farms' Bye Bye Liam  in the stakes. A maiden winner last month at Churchill Downs, Bye Bye Liam will be ridden by Asmussen's son, Keith.

The Advent is one of a record 47 stakes races that will be held at Oaklawn this season. As part of the $60 million in purse distribution, $16.2 million will be allocated to stakes. Top prizes such as the Arkansas Derby (G1) (bumped to $1.5 million), Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), Rebel Stakes (G2), and Oaklawn Handicap (G2) (all bumped to $1.25 million) received sizeable purse increases.

With the daily purse distribution topping $900,000 the purses for the allowance races will be $140,000-$145,000, maiden special weights will be $115,000, and the minimum purse on any race will be $30,000.

First post is at 12:30 p.m. CT.