Charles Cella News Today

A Kentucky Derby with an Oaklawn-raced winner and two horses in the superfecta evoked memories of Charles J. Cella, who if alive would be leading the celebration.

It may take a lot to catch a guy like Eric Jackson off guard, especially when considering the astute nature hes always operated with during his nearly 50-year involvement with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (formerly Oaklawn Park) in Hot Springs.

I met Eric Jackson in the winter of 1979. I was a college student at the time. I was also sports editor of the Daily Siftings Herald at Arkadelphia. That meant I could spend race days at Oaklawn Park in the press box. It was a dream assignment for a 19-year-old aspiring journalist from just down the road.

Charles Cella speaks again for Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, proving some things never change at the horseyard on Central Avenue.

Charles Cella speaks again for Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, proving some things never change at the horseyard on Central Avenue.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- When COVID cases first appeared in March 2020, St. Louis businessman Louis Cella knew his familys casino and racetrack in Hot Springs, Ark., drew at least 10,000 people daily during its racing season.

St. Louisan Louis Cella invested $100 million in an expansion of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs. Will it pay off?

This is a huge month in the world of perspiring arts in Arkansas.

In its third century of existence, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort -- what the track on Central Avenue in Hot Springs is now called -- has enough stories to sustain an historian.

After some test rings last spring, Oaklawn’s fund-raising efforts for local Thoroughbred aftercare began in earnest Friday afternoon with the opening of its scheduled 68-day live racing season.