Kris and John Richter

The Perkins, Oklahoma-based family has been prominent owners and breeders throughout the entire history of Remington Park. The Richters have enjoyed success with many multiple stakes winners, including the likes of Okie Ride, D Fine Okie and Bien Nicole among others.

Operating as Kristine and John Richter, then as the Richter Family Trust, they have been victorious time and time again. According to records dating back to the 1990s through Equibase, as of late 2025, the Richters have more than 200 wins in their name or as the Richter Family Trust with earnings at $7.5 million. They have also won many races with other unique owning partnerships.

A solid group of broodmares have produced consistent winners over the decades for the Richters. They also stood Cavvy as their prominent stallion, providing more control for the operation, and more success as breeders. The Richters plan has always been about breeding to own and race their foals in their name or in partnerships. If any of their young racing stock did not pan out, they preferred to give the horse away to another racing operation or find another home for them, instead of placing them into the claiming ranks.

The Richters are always well represented by their breeding operation. On most race dates at Remington Park, at least one winner can be credited to them.

Okie Ride won 14-of-33 career starts at Remington Park and more than $700,000, focusing on the track’s sprint stakes for the final years of his career, rarely experiencing defeat. His record overall was 41-16-10-6 with earnings of $789,714. Trained by Kenny Nolen, Okie Ride was an Oklahoma-bred for the Richters who became a fan favorite at Remington Park. He won the Oklahoma Classics Sprint four times, the Remington Park Turf Sprint three times and the Silver Goblin Stakes three times. Okie Ride, a gelding by Candy Ride (ARG) who was bred and raced by the Richter Family Trust, shares the record for most Oklahoma Classics Sprint Stakes wins with Highland Ice, who took home the trophy four times from 1996-99.

D Fine Okie won multiple stakes races at Remington Park, including three Oklahoma Classics events. The Richters constantly focused on growing Oklahoma racing by breeding, owning and pointing their best horses to stakes races here.

D Fine Okie’s biggest score has to be her win over males in the 2007 Oklahoma Classics Cup, known then as the Classic. She was 14-for-34 lifetime with $470,607 in earnings and like most of the Richters’ horses, was a home-bred. In the Classic, she beat a prominent male star who had a great local career in Zee Oh Six, drawing away by 1-3/4 lengths under jockey Don Pettinger, another Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer. Despite taking on the tough task as beating the boys, she still was sent off as the 4-5 odds-on favorite in the race.

Bien Nicole, trained by Donnie Von Hemel, and ridden by Don Pettinger, won multiple graded stakes events in 2003 including the Grade 3 Oaklawn Park Breeders’ Cup and the Grade 2 WinStar Galaxy at Keeneland. Bien Nicole took the Richters to the 2003 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., where she led in the Filly & Mare Turf by eight lengths before giving way to the closers out of the final turn of the 1-1/4 miles event.

Overall, Bien Nicole was in the money in 22-of-26 starts, winning 12 times while earning $1,074,620. She won three of four attempts at Remington Park, including breaking her maiden here and then defeating males in the 2002 DeBartolo Breeders’ Cup at 1-1/8 miles over turf.

The Oklahoma Classics have provided a great stage for the Richters. Through 2025, they have won 18 Oklahoma Classics stakes events on the biggest night of racing for Oklahoma-breds.