Remington Park Breaks Single-Day Handle Record

The Oklahoma Derby Day program Sunday, Sept. 29 generated a record pari-mutuel handle day for Remington Park. The 13-race program featured eight stakes events including the grade 3 Oklahoma Derby and Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks.

Total handle for Remington Park racing on Sept. 29 was $3,086,572 and included money wagered on-track, from export betting and from that played at Thunder Roadhouse in Oklahoma City, a Remington Park authorized off-track site. It was the first time in Remington Park history a racing card had produced total handle of more than $3 million.

A crowd of 10,610 witnessed Owendale's win in the Oklahoma Derby and Lady Apple's score in the Remington Park Oaks, wagering $227,384 in the process. The export handle, from all outside venues, was $2,851,667, also a new all-time high for that category. Thunder Roadhouse played $7,521 on the Remington Park races Sunday.

"I want to thank our entire team whose hard work resulted in the biggest single day of wagering in the history of Remington Park," said Matt Vance, vice president of racing operations. "Congratulations and thanks go to all the horsemen who participated and made Sunday such an incredible day. Many of the top horses in America were here for our biggest day and we appreciate all of the horseplayers who recognized the Oklahoma Derby program through their wagering."

The previous mark for total handle on Remington Park was set February 24, 1990 when $2,808,243 was wagered.

National and Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen saddled seven winners in the first 10 races on Sunday, setting a new record for most training victories on one Remington Park card. Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. rode all seven of those Asmussen-trained winners, that achievement equaled a Remington Park record for most riding wins on one program, tying Cliff Berry's mark from 2010.

Since the Remington Park Casino opened in November 2005, helping provide larger purses for the horse racing product, the Oklahoma Derby program has grown in stature with multiple races receiving grades and more stakes races added to the card. The derby day program has been held on the final Sunday in September since 2012 with total number of races for that race day ranging from 10-13. 

Due to the special derby program on Sunday, the 2019 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season continues this week on Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 3-5, with the first race nightly at 7pm. The Carryover in the 20-cent Sooner 6ix is $66,387 for Thursday night.