For Immediate Release
Sunday, May 4, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY – Remington Park set an attendance record on Saturday with the largest crowd to ever witness a Kentucky Derby simulcast in the track’s history.
A total of 20,331 were in attendance for the 134th Kentucky Derby, won by the undefeated Big Brown. Remington Park’s live program immediately following the first leg of the Triple Crown featured the $100,000 Sooner State Stakes, won for the fourth consecutive year by Country Chicks Man.
It was the first Kentucky Derby Day simulcast crowd above 20,000 in track history and the first gathering above the 20,000-plateau since the all-time record crowd of 26,411 on Feb. 29, 1992. A Leap Day wallet and cash giveaway promotion helped draw the largest assembly ever at Remington Park.
"It was great to see so many people having such a great time. The fact that it had been more than 15 years since we'd had such a big crowd at Remington Park just shows how we've rebounded since the passage of State Question 712,” said Remington Park vice president and general manager Scott Wells. “What was really gratifying was that so many who came to see the Kentucky Derby stayed here to watch our live racing program and got to see Country Chicks Man set a record of his own."
The 7-year-old Country Chicks Man, owned by the Rafter SM Ranch of Wagoner, Okla. and trained by Sparky Mullins, became the first horse to win the Sooner State Stakes four times and the first horse in Remington Park Quarter Horse season history to win any stakes race four times.
Oklahoma State Question 712 was passed by voters in November 2004. It allowed Remington Park to include casino gaming to its entertainment business model. Since then, the track has been able to increase horsemen’s purses to a highly competitive level and contribute more than $20 Million to the Oklahoma Education Fund.
The 20th Anniversary season of Quarter Horse racing continues at Remington Park thru June 1. Many key dates remain featuring must-see races and promotions, including:
- Preakness Stakes simulcast Day, Saturday, May 17… Big Brown attempts the second jewel of the Triple Crown
- Memorial Day, Monday, May 26… $1 pricing on many concession items and 12:30 p.m. post time
- $1,000,000 Heritage Place Futurity, Sunday, June 1… the first million-dollar race in Remington Park’s history
A division of MEC, Magna Entertainment Corp., Remington Park is Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino, located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District. For more information, reservations and group bookings please call 405-424-1000, 866-456-9880 or visit remingtonpark.com.
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