After lengthy negotiations, the Jockeys' Guild of America and the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma have agreed to the terms in the form of a 3-year agreement, which includes a minimum losing mount fee of $100, a fourth-place incentive and all riders will pay the per mount HISA fee, the guild said in a Thursday press release.
Set to expire on Dec. 31, 2028, the parties plan to immediately seek approval from the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.
The release went on to say that “extensive conversations with the Remington Park colony, as well as the Jockeys' Guild Board of Directors including co-chairman, John Velazquez, the determination was made for the jockeys to pay the HISA fee.”
According to the release, Oklahoma is the lone state in which jockeys are required to pay the HISA fees.
Before the agreement was reached between the two parties, the minimum fee was set at $75. Guild members refused to ride at Remington, which forced the track to use substitutes Thursday, Sept. 4 and Friday, Sept. 5. In the release, the Jockeys' Guild reported that members will return to saddle on Saturday, Sept. 6.
“Even though the Oklahoma Thoroughbred jockeys will still receive a lower losing mount fee than the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Jockeys, the Remington Park Thoroughbred jockey colony came together as one voice and agreed to the losing mount fees scale presented by TRAO,” the release said.
“The united colony was concerned and sympathetic to how this standoff was impacting not only owners, but trainers, jockey agents, exercise riders, grooms, hot walkers, valets, starting gate personnel, and pony people, as well as Remington Park, with whom the Jockeys' Guild has an excellent relationship,” the organization added.
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