1/5/2012

Sam Houston set to open with purses of $160,000 per day.

Sam Houston Race Park will open its 19th annual live racing season with the opening of its Thoroughbred meet on Friday, January 20, 2012, with average daily purse amounts in excess of $160,000, among the highest in the Park’s 18-year history. The Park will be offering two new wagers for the 2012 racing season. The Houston Hi-Five (or known as a Super Hi-Five in the racing world) requires fans to select the first five horses in order of finish. The Houston Hi-Five will be offered twice a race card and will carryover if there are no winning tickets. The Pick Five requires the selection of winners in five consecutive races and will be offered on the last five races of the racing card. Both wagers will be at an industry low 12% takeout along with the popular Pick 3’s. Fans will be able to place a minimum bet of $.50 on all Trifecta, Pick Three, Pick Four, Pick Five and Houston Hi- Five wagers during the 2012 live racing meet.

The 2012 Thoroughbred Meet will feature 15 stakes races totaling more than $1.1 million in purses over the course of the 31-day meet. The stakes program will once again be highlighted by the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, The Park’s signature event, on January 28, 2012.

The 2012 Thoroughbred stakes schedule will begin with an exciting change to Texas Champions Day on opening weekend, and for the first time ever the traditional one-day event will be extended over two days starting on Friday, January 20, and continuing on Saturday, January 21. Texas Champions Weekend will feature over $400,000 in total purses beginning Friday, a day highlighted for fillies and mares, carrying over to Saturday, a day that will feature open races for Texas-breds. The Texas-themed live racing event will include seven high-dollar stakes races; the $100,000 Star of Texas Stakes for 4-years-old and up, $50,000 Richard King Stakes, $50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes, $50,000 San Jacinto Stakes for fillies and mares, $50,000 Yellow Rose Stakes, $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and the $50,000 Groovy Stakes for 3-year-olds.

In addition to Texas Champions Weekend, the 2012 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule also includes: February 4: $50,000 Jersey Lilly Stakes, February 11: $75,000 Champion Energy Services Stakes, February 18: Texas Stallion Stakes Day, $100,000 Jim’s Orbit Stakes & $100,000 Two Altazano Stakes, February 25: $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff, March 3: $150,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup and March 10: $50,000 Spring Chrysler Jeep Dodge Stakes.
 

Texas Horse   -  Goals and Missions

 The goal of Texas H.O.R.S.E., formed in 2008,is to preserve the $5.2 billion Texas horse industry. Our industry is losing horses, jobs, and money to neighboring states because their governments have provided better opportunities to Texas horsemen than are available at home in Texas. These opportunities exist only because surrounding states offer expanded gaming programs at their racetracks, which provide funds for increased purses and equine industry stimulation programs.

Texas HORSE is asking the Texas legislature for a chance to compete on a fair and even field of play with our competitor states.