Sam Houston approved for 43 days of Thoroughbred racing
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Sam Houston Race Park will race 43 dates for Thoroughbreds from Jan. 5 through April 7 next year after receiving approval for the calendar during a Texas Racing Commission meeting on Wednesday, the Houston track announced.
Sam Houston was also granted a 25-date meet for Quarter Horses from April 19-June 15.
The meet for Thoroughbreds will again be highlighted by the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 27. It will anchor a Houston Racing Festival card that includes the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, the $100,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile, the $100,000 Bara Lass, and the $100,000 Groovy.
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Sam Houston plans to race Friday through Sunday most weeks, with an afternoon post of 1 p.m. Central on Saturdays and Sundays. Post for the Friday cards will be 6:30 p.m. There will be special Monday cards on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President’s Day, with first posts of 1 p.m.
“Our entire team is excited about the 2024 live racing season,” Bryan Pettigrew, vice president and general manager of Sam Houston, said in a press release in which he also expressed gratitude for the support of a number of breeding and racing organizations in Texas.
It will be the 30th anniversary of Sam Houston, which opened April 24, 1994, as the first Grade 1 racetrack in Texas.
“When I was previously at Sam Houston, I was able to grow handle and attendance, while educating businesses and a newer fan base about the fun, excitement, and economic impact of horseracing in Texas,” Pettigrew said in the release. “To be able to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sam Houston Race Park will be a thrill for the many breeders, owners, trainers and horseplayers who have been loyal supporters of Texas racing.”
Michael Acton will be the director of racing for 2024 at Sam Houston. The track will release it's full stakes schedule at a later date.
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