Arkansas Derby (G1)
Race Overview
The Arkansas Derby is a Grade 1 Kentucky Derby prep race for three-year-olds held each spring at Oaklawn Park.
It is one of the final major stops on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, awarding 100 qualifying points to the winner, which virtually guarantees a Derby starting gate position.
Key Race Details
Location: Oaklawn Park – Hot Springs, Arkansas
Surface: Dirt
Distance: 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs)
Date: March 28th
Age Restriction: 3-year-olds
Inaugurated: 1936
Grade: Grade 1
Purse: $1,250,000 (current standard purse)
Derby Points: 100–50–25–15–10 (top five finishers)
Distance & Track Profile
The Arkansas Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.
Oaklawn’s main track is known for:
Long stretch (1,155 feet)
Fair but demanding dirt surface
Tactical speed being advantageous
Historically kind to forwardly placed runners
The race typically attracts horses exiting the Rebel Stakes (also at Oaklawn), making it a natural progression in the Derby prep cycle.
Historical Significance
The Arkansas Derby has produced multiple Kentucky Derby winners and champions, especially in the modern era.
Notable past winners include:
Sunny's Halo
Smarty Jones
Afleet Alex
Curlin
American Pharoah
Creator
Essential Quality
Cyberknife
In recent decades, the Arkansas Derby has become one of the most productive Derby prep races in North America.
Stakes Records
Fastest Time (1 1/8 miles):
1:46.80 — AltheaLargest Margin of Victory:
10 lengths — Smarty Jones
Why the Arkansas Derby Matters
Final major Oaklawn prep
100 Derby points to the winner
Historically strong indicator of Triple Crown potential
Deep, competitive fields
Often features high early pace scenarios
Arkansas Derby winners frequently show:
Tactical speed
Ability to sustain a long drive
Proven two-turn graded stakes form
Placement in the Derby Prep Calendar
The Arkansas Derby is typically run three to four weeks before the Kentucky Derby, making it an ideal final prep.
Many winners run only once more before Churchill Downs — the Derby itself.
