The recently concluded 2018 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season produced positive pari-mutuel handle numbers compared to the 2017 season. The 67-day season total handle on Remington Park racing was up 7.4% over last year.
The total wagering on Remington Park’s 609 races conducted reached $71,798,190, up 7.4% compared to the $66,844,252 played in the 2017 season. For the first time since 2014, Remington Park enjoyed increases in both on-track handle and export handle in the same season.
The live handle from on-track players was $3,615,779, an increase of 4.7% over the 2017 total of $3,454,413. The export handle on Remington Park was $68,021,279, up 7.6% over the total of $63,188,252 from last year.
The daily average handle for Remington Park in 2018 was $1,071,615.
“It was a tremendous season by every measure,” said Scott Wells, Remington Park president and general manager. “Attendance, live handle, export handle and purses were all higher than the previous season. That’s a credit to our fans, our horsemen and our operations team. Closing day with the Springboard Mile and the other stakes races made a fitting climax to a terrific year for Remington Park.”
Long Range Toddy won the $400,000 Springboard Mile and earned 10 qualifying points for the 2019 Kentucky Derby in the process. The Springboard Mile led a 12-race program on the final day of live racing for the 2018 season.
Remington Park offered a pair of graded stakes races for the first time in its 30-year history when the Grade 3, $200,000 Remington Park Oaks was contested on the undercard of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 30. The Remington Park Oaks was won by She’s A Julie while the Oklahoma Derby went to Lone Sailor.
The average field size for the 2018 season was 9.01 horses per race after 5,490 started over the 609 races. Average field size increased over the 2017 number of 8.96 per race when total starters over 604 races was 5,410.
The total horsemen’s purses for 2018 reached $16,576,725 for a daily average purse distribution of $247,413. Total purses were up 0.6% compared to the 2017 number of $16,482,646 when the daily average was $246,009.
The live attendance for the 2018 season was 488,496, up 4.3% over the 2017 total when 468,363 played the races at Remington Park.
Remington Park’s one off-track location in Oklahoma City, Thunder Roadhouse, had wagering of $161,132 on live racing. That total was down 20.1% when compared to the total from 2017 of $201,587.
Remington Park live racing is now on hiatus until the 2019 American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa Season begins on March 8.
(from Remington Park news release)