Remington Park: Thoroughbred meet to open earlier than originally planned

Changes to the start and end date of Remington Park’s meet for Thoroughbreds have been approved by the Oklahoma Racing Commission. The track will now open its season on Friday, Aug. 10, after being originally scheduled to start the meet on Wednesday, Aug. 15. Remington will close a day later than originally scheduled, on Sunday, Dec. 9.

The track also received approval to add Saturday, Aug. 11, to its schedule, and drop Aug. 15-16, and Oct. 10. The total number of dates for the season remains the original 67. Remington also received approval to add April 1 to its Quarter Horse meet, and drop May 24.

In other business, the commission ordered that a winning $6,230.92 superfecta ticket from the fall Thoroughbred meet at Remington be paid to a patron after there was question over the deadlines for cashing the ticket. It was presented for payment during the confines of the meet, but more than 60 days after the wager was made, which led Remington officials to deny payout based on a state statute. The commission has directed its staff to draft a preliminary order that includes its reasoning for calling for the payout. It is to be prepared for the commission’s next meeting in February.

In other business, the commission rescinded a policy that had required horses to show proof of a negative test for both strains of Equine Piroplasmosis, a tick-borne blood disease, before entering Oklahoma racetracks.