Oklahoma sprint hero Okie Ride dead at 10

Okie Ride, who won four runnings of the Oklahoma Classics Sprint to share a record with Highland Ice, died Aug. 9 following a workout at Remington Park. He collapsed shortly after finishing the half-mile drill. The incident was due to a suspected “pulmonary event,” according to a press release from Remington.

“All of us are just devastated,” trainer Kenny Nolen said. “He was just such a big part of us, and part of our family.”

Okie Ride won 16 races from 41 starts for earnings of $789,714 for his breeders, Richter Family Trust. He was 11 for 29 at Remington and last year at 9 won the Oklahoma Classics Sprint and the $50,000 Silver Goblin, the latter of which ended up being his final career start, on Nov. 18. Okie Ride first raced in June 2009.

“Right after his last race each season at Remington, we would pull his shoes and he would go home to the Richter’s place, where he would have a good, long vacation for a few months,” Nolen said.

◗ A Remington Park Racing Club is being launched, with the cost of membership for 2017 a one-time fee of $250. There will be a limit of 200 partners for a horse to be trained by Federico Villafranco. The horse will be purchased and managed by Remington’s perennial leading owner, Danny Caldwell. The meet opens Aug. 25.

◗ Oaklawn Park has raised its bottom-level claiming price from $5,000 to $6,250 for the 2018 season, which opens in January, the track announced. Oaklawn projects purses will total $30 million for the 57-date season that runs from Jan. 12-April 14.