Our town’s Charles Cella,  prez of Oaklawn Park racetrack in Hot Springs, Ark., will increase the purse of the April 3 Grade I Apple Blossom to $5 million, providing that champs Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta both start.  Cella calls it “one of the most important moments at Oaklawn and in Arkansas sports.”  Owners of both Rachel Alexandra (a three year-old filly, owned by Jess Jackson) and Zenyatta, a mare, owned by the Jerry Mosses) both showed enthusiasm for bringing their champions to Oaklawn for the famed Racing Festival of the South. Both of the horses have raced in Arkansas as a launching pad to future successes.  The $5 million purse will be the largest for a filly and mare race in the history of North American thoroughbred racing.  The historically contested race will be extended to a mile-and-one-eighth instead of a mile-and-one-sixteenth. Incidentally,Cella and his sons own Southern Real Estate & Financial Co., which includes beaucoups properties in downtown St. Louis and in Ladue. They also created the award-winning restaurant, Truffles.

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