Remington Park

Remington Park, Oklahoma City — fall racing on the Southwest circuit

Remington Park in Oklahoma City runs its Thoroughbred season from late August to mid-December, racing at night from 6:30 p.m. Central, Thursday through Saturday, with Wednesdays added in the autumn. The main track is a one-mile dirt oval, with a seven-furlong turf course inside it and a chute that allows grass races up to a mile and an eighth. A Quarter Horse season runs in the spring.

Remington's timing defines its horse population. It opens as the summer meets wind down, so much of the fall roster arrives from Lone Star Park and Prairie Meadows, and when it closes in December many of the same barns move on to Oaklawn Park for the winter. Knowing that circuit is most of the job here.

How the Remington dirt plays

The dirt is a conventional one-mile oval, and like most tracks of its size it tends to reward horses that can stay close to the pace. Sprints are where most of the card is, and a clean break from a good post is worth a lot in them. The routes are more honest: with a full lap and two turns, a well-placed stalker gets a fair chance, and a lone speed horse that is not pressured is the profile to look for.

Late in the season, Oklahoma weather comes into play. Cold nights and rain can leave the track sloppy or sealed, which usually makes it play faster and more speed-favoring, and turf races can come off the grass. Check the track condition and the scratches before the card, not the night before. Our track bias guide covers how to read a surface that is changing during the meet.

The turf course

Seven furlongs around makes Remington's turf course tighter than the grass at most bigger tracks. Tactical speed and a ground-saving trip matter more than a long late run, and horses drawn wide in turf routes face a real handicap. Proven grass form counts for more than a big dirt figure, since plenty of Remington horses are tried on turf without the pedigree for it. Our pedigree guide covers how to judge a first-time turf runner.

Oklahoma Derby, Oklahoma Classics and the Springboard Mile

The season's biggest day is the Oklahoma Derby, a Grade 3 for three-year-olds at a mile and an eighth on dirt in late September, which draws national shippers. The same card carries the Great West, a turf sprint. In mid-October, Oklahoma Classics night is the showcase for Oklahoma-breds, and the meet closes in December with the Springboard Mile for two-year-olds, a race that awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points and often introduces horses who go on to the Oaklawn prep series.

Away from those nights the card is mostly claiming and allowance racing with a sizeable Oklahoma-bred program. State-bred restricted races reward handicappers who know the local barns, and the jockey and trainer colony that sticks with this circuit year after year is a strong signal. Our trainer and jockey stats guide covers how to read those numbers.

What our Remington Park picks weigh most

Our Remington Park picks weigh recent form from the summer circuit, class moves as horses settle into the meet, and early speed in the sprints. We treat the turf separately, adjust for weather late in the season, and scratch-check every card. Free Remington Park picks and best bets are published here on race nights, with full-card ratings through the Edge.