Oaklawn Park will boost the GII Fantasy Stakes purse to $1 million for 2026, making it the first seven-figure race for 3-year-old fillies before the Kentucky Oaks. The Arkansas track also announced the GIII Honeybee Stakes purse will increase from $500,000 to $750,000.
“The increase to our Fantasy Stakes by itself makes a very strong statement,” said Oaklawn’s President Louis A. Cella. “This will be the first time in the history of North American racing that 3-year-old fillies will have an opportunity to run for a seven-figure purse prior to the Kentucky Oaks. When you factor in the Honeybee at $750,000 and Martha Washington at $300,000, it’s clear Oaklawn continues to be the nation’s best track to condition 3-year-olds.”
The track’s Kentucky Derby prep series begins with the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on January 3, followed by the $1-million GIII Southwest Stakes on January 31, the $1-million GII Rebel Stakes on March 1, and the $1.5-million GI Arkansas Derby on March 28.
Oaklawn’s 2025/2026 racing season will feature a record 62 stakes races across 64 days with stakes purses exceeding $18.3 million — more than double the total from the 2019 season.
The upcoming season introduces a new schedule format with a three-week gap between meets. A “Holiday Meet” will run December 12-January 4, featuring at least one stakes race daily. The regular four-day weekly schedule will resume January 30 and continue through May 2.
Six new overnight stakes have been added throughout the season, including “The Coach” Overnight Stakes, which honors Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
The first condition book for Oaklawn’s 2025/2026 season is now available at www.oaklawn.com.
