Longtime industry executive Fick named director of racing

Dan Fick, who has held high-ranking positions with The Jockey Club and the American Quarter Horse Association, has been hired as director of racing and racing secretary for Remington Park, the track’s president, Scott Wells, said on Tuesday.

Fick replaces Fred Hutton, who had been with Remington for the past decade. Fick is to assume his new position on Jan. 1.

“I think Dan Fick will bring leadership, vision, and a breadth of experience in the industry, which is a natural fit for Remington Park,” said Wells.

“Dan has an extraordinary background.”

Fick was the executive director of racing for the AQHA from 1985 to 2003. During his tenure, the organization established the Challenge Championships, which is a Breeders’ Cup-like series for Quarter Horses. Fick resigned in 2003 to become the executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club. Last year, he left that position to become a steward in Indiana. He is 62.

Remington, in Oklahoma City, closed out one of its most successful meets in history on Saturday. The track handled an average $808,645 a day on its races from all sources, which was up 48 percent from the corresponding meet in 2009. An expanded simulcast network helped fuel the numbers, as did a field size of 10.1 starters per race. It was the first Thoroughbred meet under the ownership of Global Gaming, a Chickasaw Nation company that bought the track from MI Developments.

Remington will open for a Quarter Horse meet on March 4.