Oaklawn introduces purse bonuses for bigger fields

Oaklawn on Saturday announced a new purse incentive designed to reward horsemen who support Oaklawn for the remainder of the 2025-2026 racing season.

Beginning with Condition Book 4 on March 19, the incentive will apply to the 25 remaining scheduled race days of the meet and will reward races that attract larger fields.

Under the new structure, allowance and maiden special weight races will receive an additional $5,000 in purse money for each official starter above nine betting interests, excluding stakes races. All other overnight races will receive an additional $2,000 for each official starter above nine betting interests. Through the new purse incentive program, allowance races could potentially reach $140,000, and the lowest overnight purses could increase to as much as $36,000 when races exceed nine official starters.

Larger fields are widely considered one of the most important factors for both competitive racing and wagering value, making the initiative a direct benefit to two of the sport's most important groups – horsemen and bettors.

"We're always looking for ways to strengthen the racing product for both our horsemen and our fans," said Louis A. Cella, president of Oaklawn. "This program provides additional purse money when races draw larger fields while supporting the competitive racing our fans expect at Oaklawn."

The incentive will apply to races that exceed nine betting interests, excluding stakes races, directly rewarding participation and enhancing the wagering product for fans both on-track and across simulcast platforms.