Racino Fuels Resurgence Of Remington Park

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Remington Park was a gleaming jewel of the horse racing industry when it opened in 1988. <br/><br/>Fifteen years later, its fortunes had declined so drastically that some spoke openly

Monday, July 10th 2006, 5:03 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Remington Park was a gleaming jewel of the horse racing industry when it opened in 1988.

Fifteen years later, its fortunes had declined so drastically that some spoke openly of its possible closure.

Today, the Oklahoma City track is making a comback thanks to the addition of a ``racino'' -- a casino located at the track.

Voters in 2004 passed State Question 712, allowing electronic gaming at state racetracks. State and track officials rushed to get the racinos up and running.

Remington's racino opened in November, and the numbers tell reflect a turnaround. In 2005, Remington Park's quarter-horse purses during a 32-day meet averaged about 127 a day. This year, during a 50-day meet, the daily average was about 174-thousand dollars.