“The Force was with us today,” grinned Quietside’s trainer, John A. Ortiz, after winning the Fantasy Stakes in March this year. While the trainer felt it was the mystical universal energy from Star Wars that helped the filly subdue Simply Joking in a spectacular horse racing dog fight, we’d wager the $750,000 prize money did act as an incentive. And that monetary incentive is now set to get even more lucrative come 2026.

The Grade II Fantasy Stakes is often considered the stepping stone for 3-year-old fillies looking to make a name for themselves at Oaklawn Park, and then at the Kentucky Oaks and ultimately at the Kentucky Derby. Naturally, the prize pool for such a high-stakes horse racing event should also be of a certain level. With that thought in mind, the authorities have decided to make the next Fantasy Stakes even bigger than ever before.

When the G2 horse racing spectacle returns to Oaklawn Park next year, it will boast the biggest purse in its history. As per a report by Thoroughbred Daily News from July 22, the 2026 Fantasy Stakes will offer $1 million to the winner. “The increase to our Fantasy Stakes by itself makes a very strong statement. 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,” Louis A. Cella, Oaklawn President, said.

The move comes in cohesion with Oaklawn’s aim at making the 2025-26 horse racing season a historic one. For the first time ever, the iconic Hot Springs, Arizona, racecourse will feature 62 stakes races throughout the entire season. To mark the occasion, the combined prize pool for the 2025-26 horse racing season at Oaklawn has been announced to be exceeding $18.3 million; “ more than double the total from the 2019 season,” as per the TDN article from Tuesday. And all that bump in the purse won’t be coming from the Fantasy Stakes alone.

The 2026 GIII Honeybee Stakes’ prize money will also be increased from $500,000 to $750,000. This will be the third straight year when the winner at the G3 horse racing event will have a higher payout than the previous year’s winner. But Cella seems confident that the Honeybee Stakes still has a long way to go before getting the same league as the Fantasy Stakes.

“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 Oaklawn president said. His faith isn’t misplaced. After all, Oaklawn seems to have a lot plans than just a bigger prize money to take its horse racing legacy to the next level.

When the iconic race horse trainer D Wayne Lukas passed away in June, the horse racing community was left wailing. Bob Baffert, in particular, was heartbroken over the loss of his rival-turned-friend. As a nod to the departed, Oaklawn is set to introduce “The Coach” Overnight Stakes as part of its six new overnight stakes for the 2025/26 season. The upcoming season at Oaklawn will also feature a three-week race gap from December 12 to January 4 for the first time.

But the Oaklawn Park is hardly the only horse racing authority who have decided to take the next step toward a brighter, and financially better, future.

Horse racing is ushering in a new era, all around

In 2024, the Belmont Stakes increased its prize pool to $2 million from its previous $1.5 million purse. In the same year, the Kentucky Derby also announced a jaw-dropping $2 million increase to its payout amount, totaling a record $5 million prize pool. Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Inc., said on the matter, “These record purse increases are a symbol of the health of horse racing in Kentucky.”

In February this year, Santa Anita also brought about an 8% increase on average in its Overnight stakes purses. Just days after that, Del Mar also entered the chat by revealing its 8-week summer plans with 300 races and $15.7 million in overnight purses. Whew! That’s a lot of big dough everywhere! But the country’s horse racing organizers, along with ensuring better pay for the competitors, are also doing everything in their power to give back to the community as much as possible.

Just a couple of days ago, the Breeders’ Cup announced that it will host the first-ever Annual Day of Giving, with initial plans of raising $200,000 for charitable causes. Safe to say, the country’s horse racing is set to undergo some of the most crucial times ahead with the bigger stakes on the table. How do you speculate the sport to change with this sudden boost in the wallet? Tell us in a comment.