HOT SPRINGS -- The stuff that led ownership and management to change the name of their facility to Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort from what most horse-racing fans have known throughout their lives as Oaklawn Park has become obvious.
Even those most responsible for its development say they have experienced recent "wow" moments.
Oaklawn President Louis Cella, a grandson of the racetrack's original owner, said he had been away from Hot Springs for about two-and-a-half weeks when he returned earlier this month. When he cleared the final hill before Oaklawn's grounds came into view from Central Avenue, he was startled by the sight before him.
"I drove up, going south, and I turned into the parking lot, and that was exactly my reaction was, 'Wow. That's changed,' " Cella said. "Everything. The steel was going up on the events center. The last time I was here, it was not. The topping of the windows were mostly done in the hotel. When I was here last, it was not. The skin of the building was going up. The last time I was here, it was not."
Though still under construction, the framework of a seven-story hotel and its full height -- close to equal that of the track's grandstand -- are in place. Cella said his goal is to open the hotel on or before the first day of racing in 2021.
Below the hotel are an events center and several restaurants scheduled to open between this and next season, and an additional 28,000 square feet of casino space that Cella said he expects to partially open Thursday. The first day of live racing this season kicks off at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.
The work is estimated to cost $100 million.
"Just the casino hotel, event center and spa are exceeding that budget, and that doesn't even include the work we've done in the grandstand and the backstretch," Cella said. "It's a lot of money, for sure."
For many, an unfortunate byproduct of the work is a temporary change in parking from a format long familiar to racing fans and gamblers.
"Parking is going to be very, very difficult," Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith said. "We ask all of our fans to be patient, to understand short-term pain will turn to long-term gain. Next year, I think this year -- in terms of parking -- will be a distant memory. We'll be fine next year, but this year's going to be a struggle."
Horsemen knew to expect the parking issue.
"They warned us last year, 'We're going to have to go through a little growing pain with parking,' " Trainer Ron Moquett said. "We were all prepared for it. We're not happy about it, but we know next year, it's going to be a lot better."
Moquett, an Oklahoma native who now calls Hot Springs home, said he is confident the upgraded facility will increase competition for horses and financial incentives for horsemen. He also thinks the city of Hot Springs will benefit.
"I'm thinking Hot Springs will become a nationally-known place that people will want to visit," he said. "I really think it's going to help bring in tourists."
Increased tourism is part of Oaklawn's hope, which Cella said will help drive an increase in the track's purse structure.
"Just in the last 20 years, our purses have increased three times what it was," Cella said. "You can see that increase in the foreseeable future, not 20 years from now. Those purses are going to increase as we're able to expand our product. It's going to certainly benefit our horsemen and our racing fans."
Purses will average about $600,000 a day at Oaklawn this season.
"We have a long way to go, but I think it would be awfully neat to do a million dollars a day," said Cella, 54, of Ladue, Mo. "I don't know if we can get there, but that's a goal in my lifetime that I think would be pretty spectacular."
"Obviously, this is all going to continue to increase our purses," Smith said. "As we get hotel revenue, we are looking for more of a regional draw, which will then increase the casino, which will then increase the purses. From our perspective, it's all about increasing purses, which will continue to give us the best racing in America at the time of year that we race."
Chris Hartman, Oaklawn's leading trainer with 34 wins in 2015, said even the parking issues are easily overcome by his ilk.
"Parking is going to be a problem," Hartman said. "I'm sure somebody knows how many spots they're missing, but they'll adjust. The barn area is a little bit of a hassle, but we're good at our barn."
Hartman brought his racehorses, ponies, staff and pets into Hot Springs last month and said he was in awe of the work begun early in May.
"When I first saw it, I just said, 'Whoa, man, they've done some work,' " Hartman said. "That's what my first thought was. They're getting some things done is what I was thinking. They've got a lot done. It's changed a bunch."
Smith expects similar reactions will help increase the quality of racing at Oaklawn
"Racing is our DNA," Smith said. "It's everything that we do. Anything that we're building or looking at building, in our minds it will all complement racing. We want the best racing in North America. The only way to do that is to get the best people here. The only way to get the best people here is to get the best purses, and that's what we've done."
Sports on 01/19/2020