Stall applications for Will Rogers Downs Quarter Horse meet are due July 13.

© Coady Photography

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–JULY 11, 2024–There are a lot of questions and rumors swirling regarding the 2024 fall race meet at Will Rogers Downs after a tornado heavily damaged the track on May 25.

While there are still plenty of unknowns, we want to share what information we do have so that horsemen are able to plan accordingly. 

The casino, grandstand, KOA campground, and the racing office were all heavily damaged; the racetrack itself had some damage to the safety rail and the tote board. All the lower barns were destroyed, and the middle barns sustained extensive damage, the upper barns had some slight damage but fared well considering the damage to the rest of the property. 

The clean-up and renovations began immediately after the storm, and we are pleased to report that they are well into the rebuilding phase. The casino has a target re-open date of later this month. The racetrack surface has been groomed, and the safety rail has been replaced.

The racing office is under construction and should be completed in the next few weeks. The middle barns are currently being repaired, so those barns will be usable when the barn area opens next month. The lower barn area will be fenced off from the test barn going south as those barns are unusable.

The upper barns will be usable; however, it is likely that the Cherokee barn will become the haul-in barn as it has the most parking available. They are currently assessing other areas and possibilities to have as many available stalls as possible. We do not yet know the total number of stalls available. 

The stall applications are available HERE; they are due on July 13.

Everyone is encouraged to complete an application and request the number of stalls you would like, but also note the number of stalls you could get by with if we are on limited stalling.

If you have a training facility that you can or normally stable at, we encourage you to plan to remain there through the meet and request a limited number of stalls to cycle in and out of the track. It is also important to note that there will be no RV Camping spots available. The KOA and the backside RV Park are under construction. The dorm rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The track will open for training on August 21st, and the tentative training schedule can be found HERE.

Beginning in September, there will be no training on race days due to construction and the increased haul-in traffic. The plan is to have the track open for training Wednesday- Saturday with gates and clocker Thursday – Saturday, starting in September and continuing through the end of the meet or until construction is completed. 

We understand there will be challenges, and the stalling situation is not ideal, but OQHRA appreciates WRD management's efforts to ensure we can race in 2024! We ask that our horsemen be patient and kind to their staff; they have been working hard the last two months to ensure we have the opportunity to run! Even with the loss of revenue from the casino, we can keep the purses at the same level they were in 2023, and a condition book will be available very soon! 

We will communicate with WRD management and share more information with you as it becomes available. Please help us share this good news with other horsemen and put a stop to the misinformation that is out there!