When we start at the first of December they can go straight into Oaklawn racing.' 'We used to start in mid-January but when you look at other tracks like Churchill for example, they end at the end of November: it is a shorter time in between the seasons. 'This is our third season that we are starting in December,' said Ho. In previous years, the horse racing season started in January, but Oaklawn officials say they decided to move up the season. Ho said horse racing is beneficial to not only the casino, but also the city of Hot Springs, from Airbnb's, hotels, retail shops, and restaurants. (KATV) - And they're off! Horse racing officially kicked off Friday at Hot Springs' Oaklawn Racing Casino.Ĭhris Ho, vice president of marketing for Oaklawn, said there were nearly 800,000 people in attendance during last year's racing period.Īt the 2023 Arkansas Derby, 65,000 people showed up to watch the horses race.