It was the only track for hundreds of miles and fans would come from across the Midwest. He soon transformed the track into a desirable alternative to Florida for winter training and racing. After Louis died in 1918, Charles assumed management of Oaklawn. While Oaklawn opened in 1904, it didn’t really operate as a major racetrack until 1934.

Cella, his brother Charles and partners owned racetracks in major cities across the U.S. The Cella family. Five men, four generations, and a life-long love affair with horse racing and Oaklawn. They have been described as innovators and pioneers. By 1911, Louis A. More than two million annual visitors come to Hot Springs for the lakes, hiking, bike trails, museums, restaurants and shopping. And you can also find America’s oldest and smallest national park. Visitors come to soak in the warm waters at up to eight Victorian-style bathhouses from the 19th and 20th centuries on Bathhouse Row and the hot springs are also present in several downtown hotels, spas and public fountains. So much of the appeal of Oaklawn is rooted in this town located in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas. Native Americans called the area “The Valley of the Vapors.” Naturally thermal spring waters flow out of the ground at an average temperature of 143 degrees and produce almost one million gallons of water each day. And while it is a racetrack that has never forgotten its glorious past, the one constant through the many years has been change - and consistent growth. What has not changed, however, is the track’s unparalleled habitat in western Arkansas. Located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Oaklawn Racing & Gaming has been a racing tradition since 1904. If Saratoga Springs is the sport’s “Summer Place to Be,” then spring belongs to Oaklawn. During the first four months of each year, this racetrack surrounded by a mix of busy residential neighborhoods and small-town commercial districts, captures the hearts and imaginations of racing fans across North America. Regardless the reason, in the world of horse racing, it is a special place and one of a kind.

More likely, it is the southern charm of its people and the tradition of incredible horses and competition.

Maybe it’s because a National Park and 50 natural hot springs are located near the track in scenic seclusion. Or perhaps because it has been owned by four generations of the same family since it opened 114 years ago.

Who owns oaklawn casino hot springs