Sam Houston planning to start early next season

Sam Houston opened its meet Jan. 2, but next season, the track plans to start racing in December, according to Bryan Pettigrew, vice president and general manager of Texas racing operations for Penn Entertainment.

“We did apply for race dates in December of 2026,” he said. “We’ll start a little earlier and think it will be good for the industry here in Texas. Our target date is Dec. 11, and we’ll probably still run into April. We’re still kind of taking a look into that.”

:: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now.

The Texas Racing Commission awards dates on an annual basis.

Political push

Pettigrew said many stakeholders in breeding and racing in Texas are encouraging people to be active on the political scene for the benefit of the industry. They have put together a central website for information: Texashorseindustry.com

“We have a lot of new state representatives in Texas, so we’re trying to invite them all to the races,” Pettigrew said. “This year we’ll be doing four [legislative] events at the racetracks and another event bringing horses to Austin.”

Austin is the state capital of Texas.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.