OKLAHOMA CITY, OK—MARCH 8, 2017—Remington Park will begin racing on Saturday, March 11 at 4pm in order to accommodate the 17 trial races for the Grade 3 Oklahoma Futurity. The expanded racing program will move the first post time earlier, to 4pm.

The 17 trials will determine the finalists for the historic, 76th running of the race.

The oldest futurity in American Quarter Horse racing, the Oklahoma Futurity will carry a record purse as the final field on March 25 will compete for their share of $525,050.

The 17 trials for the Oklahoma Futurity will equal the Remington Park record for most trials on one racing program. On May 10, 2002, 17 trials were contested to determine the finals for the Heritage Place Futurity. That same card had three more overnight races, making its 20-race program the longest in track history.

All of the 2-year-olds in the Oklahoma Futurity trials on Saturday will be making their career debuts. A majority of those entered have been involved in pre-season training races at Remington Park.

Other notes for the Oklahoma Futurity trials: G.R. Carter, the all-time leading jockey in American Quarter Horse racing will make his Remington Park return as he is named to ride in seven of the 17 trials.

Carter last rode at Remington Park in 2015 and announced his overall retirement at year’s end. However, he returned to the saddle, in a limited capacity, during the late 2016 at other racing venues.

There are two supplemental entries into the trials as the connections of PYC Fun N Fancy (trial 1) and Mighty Pants (trial 5) each paid the $7,500 fee at the entry box in the racing office this morning in order to compete. Both runners won training races during the pre-season… 15 of the 17 trials will have 10-horse fields, the other two will have nine horses in the starting gate, bringing the total entering the trials to 168… The purse for each trial is $10,000.

Sunday, March 12 will feature trials for the Oklahoma Derby along with the initial stakes events of the season. The Grade 2, $50,000 Eastex Stakes and the $61,800 Mighty Deck Three Stakes will begin the season’s stakes schedule.

The first race on Opening Night this Friday is 6pm. Saturday’s expanded program of Oklahoma Futurity trials will begin at 4pm. Then the final day of the Opening Weekend, Sunday, will start at 1:30pm. All Times are Central.

The 2017 American Quarter Horse Season at Remington Park will continue thru Saturday, June 3.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tracked by over 119,000 fans on Facebook and 8,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park is the home of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Futurity on Saturday, March 25. Remington Park has provided over $165 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Open daily at 10:30am with free parking and admission, Oklahoma City’s only Racetrack & Casino is 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.