Calling it "one of the most important moments at Oaklawn and in Arkansas sports," Oaklawn Park president Charles J. Cella has upped the purse of the April 3 Apple Blossom Handicap to $5 million provided champions Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta both start, according to a track release.

At a morning press conference Feb. 4, Cella reported that he has spoken with the owners of both Rachel Alexandra (Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick) and Zenyatta (Jerry and Ann Moss). Both parties showed enthusiasm for bringing their champions to Oaklawn for the first Saturday of the Racing Festival of the South, Calla said.

Shortly after the Oaklawn Park announcement, Jackson issued a statement indicating his horse would participate, provided she was healthy and it fit her schedule, and Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs, weighed in with a comment.

"My family and I would love to see her run at Oaklawn Park," Jackson said in the statement. "If she is in top form and it fits in our schedule, we will be there. Rachel, as you know, likes the track having won twice there last year. As you have heard me say many times before, a number of factors must be considered when deciding where to race a horse, the number one factor being the condition of the horse. Rachel will tell us when she is ready to start her 2010 campaign and we humans must agree she is in top form