Report: Arkansas Derby date suddenly 'a moving target'

With a newly created gap on the first Saturday in May, Oaklawn Park President Louis Cella is considering filling the void with the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby, according to the Daily Racing Form's Mary Rampellini.

Cella has reportedly been in conversation to determine the best date for the 1 1/8-mile race currently scheduled for April 11, but Oaklawn continues racing through May 2, the original date of the Kentucky Derby since postponed to Sept. 5 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While Churchill Downs prefers to wait until later in the year when it can assemble its usual large crowd, Oaklawn has elected to continue racing behind closed doors to prevent the virus' spread.    “It’s a moving target,” Cella said of the Arkansas Derby. “We are in discussions internally, as well as with other tracks, on, ‘What do we believe will be the future of racing in the springtime for this year?’ We don’t know and right now we have to react."  Originally designed as a final Kentucky Derby prep, the Arkansas Derby still carries its significant points payout on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the top-four finishers. Now, there's no hurry to run it, either, with plenty of time before the first Saturday in September. Said Cella: "For the horseman with a promising 3-year-old, is it best for him to race on April 11 or race on May 2?" He's trying to find out.