Upgrades Begin at Remington Park

By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Bets are on at Remington Park. The new owners are hoping major renovations will bring a big payoff.

The exterior of the building doesn't look different, that will come later, but once you walk inside that's where the changes are taking place.

"Remington Park was like a luxury car that hadn't received the best of maintenance," Remington Park General Manager Scott Wells said.

Time took its toll and Oklahoma City's premier horse racing attraction lost its edge. Now it's getting a much needed makeover. The most dramatic changes are on the Suite Level. The entire floor is under construction.

"People just won't recognize it," said Wells. "We've incorporated stone and fine wood paneling, new carpet and new TVs."

Changes can be seen from top to bottom. The first floor has been updated and opened. The renovations are not only to draw in more racing patrons but those hoping to win big in other ways. Nearly half of the casino games have been replaced with new machines. And all of this has taken place in only a matter of months.

"The new ownership group has done more here in 90 days than anyone else has done in the past 15 or 20 years," Wells said.

That's good news for Oklahoma's multi-million dollar horse racing industry.

"The speed at which they are doing these improvements, the commitments they've made to the industry, we haven't seen that since the very beginning of Remington Park, so we are all very, very excited about what's going on," Horse Farm Manager Phillip Stewart said.

Changes to the outside of the building will take place later this year and sometime in the future we a hotel and other attractions could be built near Remington Park.