Remington Park springs into 2011 Quarter Horse racing on March 4
Special report by Martha Claussen

March 1, 2011 - Remington Park will kick off its 2011 American Quarter Horse meet on Friday, March 4. Oklahoma City has emerged from one of the most brutal winters in history and the entire team at Remington Park is eager to welcome the return of live racing and to showcase the many new additions to the facility.

Global Gaming raises the bar

There is no doubt that the passage of racino legislation in late 2004 was a major turning point for Remington Park. The casino opened in November 2005, and has become a colossal entertainment destination. Its success has fostered huge purse increases and a boon to both funding for Oklahoma education and the state's agricultural industry. 

Remington Park is now owned by Global Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. They have made a substantial commitment to updating the entire grandstand, suites, track apron and jocks room.

“Global Gaming has done more for Remington Park in three months than has been done in years,” states Scott Wells, president and general manager of Remington Park. “They are 100 percent committed to our racing product and leave no stone unturned to help cultivate and retain fans.”

Remington will proudly unveil a new 47-foot “big screen” which is sure to be a major attraction at Remington Park. Wells and his staff have been working for nine months on content for the big screen. The goal will be to educate and entertain through an exciting visual experience. Fan education will be prominent, and on non-racing days, the big screen will be used for gaming tournaments and watch parties for the Oklahoma Thunder, the city's National Basketball Association team.

“The fans will absolutely love it,” said Wells. “Today video presentation is part of the fan experience.”

But while some racetracks in states that have passed legislation focused almost exclusively on casino marketing to boost revenue, Wells and his team at Remington Park have a strong allegiance to their racing product and to the horsemen. Wells openly acknowledges that horsemen have a choice when it comes to choosing where they will run their horses.

Dan Fick takes the helm as Director of Racing

Dan Fick assumed the position of Director of Racing on Jan. 1. Formerly the Executive Director of Racing for AQHA for 19 years and Executive Director and Vice President of The Jockey Club, Fick is  a nationally respected industry leader. He is primed and ready for the upcoming 50-day live racing season. 

Fick reported that the massive snow storm and sub-freezing temperatures that delayed the Feb. 1 opening of the stable area was difficult on the entire Remington Park team as well as trainers shipping horses. He credits the horsemen for their patience under very difficult circumstances.

“Everybody realized we were doing everything we could,” said Fick. “The lateral winds blew in drifts of snow as high as 3 feet in the barns. Track superindent Bobby Blackburn and his crew did an outstanding job getting everything cleared away.”

Despite the delay, the track opened for training, and more than 57 training races have been run. Fick has advised the horsemen that the track will be open for training under the lights on March 2 so that their horses can see the big screen prior to opening night.

“Despite the worst blizzard in 100 years, I am happy to report that the track surface has been pronounced in excellent shape,” Fick said. “My work with the NTRA on the Safety and Integrity Alliance will always make safety an important priority at Remington Park.”

With five of the Top 10 Quarter Horse trainers in the country, including Paul Jones, Heath Taylor, John Buchanan, Judd Kearl, Clint Crawford and perennial top Remington conditioner, Eddie Willis running horses, Fick is more than proud of the quality of racing.

“As I have said many times, we are the Saratoga, Keeneland and Del Mar of Quarter Horse racing,” Fick said. “We are looking forward to a great meet.”

 G.R. Carter seeking his 14th riding title in Oklahoma City

AQHA Champion jockey, G.R. Carter makes his home on the northwest side of Oklahoma City, and he has a respected history at Remington Park. Last year he won his 13th champion title, tying with Jimmy Dean Brooks as they both had 55 wins. Carter is healthy, rested and raring to go for his eighth consecutive title.

“This is one of my absolute favorite times of the year,” said Carter. “I ride a lot of races at Remington and have been busy working babies in the morning. It's an exciting couple of months here and sets the tempo for my year.”

Carter moved to Oklahoma in 1997 and loves the laid-back lifestyle in Oklahoma City. He has seen many changes over the past decade and is appreciative that racing is prospering in the Sooner state.

“I feel very fortunate to be part of Oklahoma racing,” Carter said. “Scott does a phenomenal job of managing this track.”

$5.1 Million stakes schedule at Remington Park

Wells reports that Remington Park will offer lucrative daily purses of $250,000 per day and host 44 stakes throughout the 2011 American Quarter Horse and Mixed-breed meet. Venerable racing events including the Grade 1, Heritage Place Futurity on May 28, and the Grade 3, $350,000 Oklahoma Futurity will be joined by a new addition.  Oklahoma-bred 2-year-olds will have the opportunity to run in the 330-yard Remington Park Futurity on April 16. The purse for its inaugural running is an estimated $850,000.

Older horses have a lucrative menu of options, including the Grade 1, $250,000 Remington Park Championship, which grants the winner a berth into prestigious $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in December. On Sunday, May 8, Remington Park will be host to the regional stakes for the Bank of America Challenge Championships. Highlighted by the Grade 2, $100,000 Bank of America Oklahoma Championship, winners will advance to the Bank of America Challenge Championships, which will take place at Los Alamitos in October.

An app for Quarter Horse racing

One of the most innovative ideas that will debut in conjunction with the 2011 Remington Park meet is a new Oklahoma Racing Application for the iPhone, which will be available free from the Apple Store. It will feature two sections: one for fans and one for horsemen. With more than 300,000 apps in this rapidly emerging phone communication field, the Oklahoma Racing App will offer up-to-the-minute handicapping information on live Quarter Horse races at Remington Park and each of the Oklahoma racetracks as the year progresses. Users will be able to track performance of horses, owners, trainers, sires of performers and other valuable information. 

“We are working out final details with Equibase and expect the app to be ready for download by mid-March,” said Debbie Schauf, executive director of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association.

Racing fans will be able to download a mobile version of the App by visiting the OQHRA website www.oqhra.com on March 5. The mobile version will provide virtually the same information as the app and will work on Android and Blackberry phones.

Schauf and members of the OQHRA continue to be progressive in promoting racing. They have embraced social media, including Facebook, Twitter and a YouTube video page on their website and continue to foster new ways to create excitement for American Quarter Horse racing.

Promotions will be plentiful

Throughout opening weekend, March 4-6, patrons can register for nine 55-inch flat-screen televisions and cash drawings. Live entertainment and beer specials are offered on Wednesday nights, and each Thursday is Ladies Night. There are abundant casino promotions and creative racing days such as “Extreme Day” on April 10 with camel and ostrich races to attract new fans.

Wells, who has run Remington Park for six years, is excited about opening weekend and the quality of the 2011 live meet. They have entered into an exclusive arrangement with TVG to televise their races and will run Sunday afternoon racing (1:30 p.m.), which Wells feels will increase attendance.

“We will build a festive atmosphere and encourage families to come out and enjoy the afternoon,” said Wells. “We want people to think of Remington Park when they want to have a good time.”