Sam Houston sees gains in handle, attendance

Sam Houston Race Park in Houston experienced a 15 percent increase in average daily handle on its live races during its 32-date Thoroughbred meet that closed Tuesday, the track announced. Sam Houston also experienced gains in average daily attendance and field size.

Sam Houston handled an average of $1,601,537 a day on its live races at this meet. Of that amount, an average of $1,484,809 a day was bet offtrack and an average of $116,728 ontrack.

Sam Houston averaged 6,622 patrons a program, up 8 percent from the corresponding season in 2014. The track’s field size averaged 8.4 starters a race, up 5 percent from 2014.

“This was another successful Thoroughbred racing season with many notable gains,” Andrea Young, president of Sam Houston, said in a release. “We were very pleased to top the $2 million mark [in daily handle] seven times this season compared to just once in 2014.”

Purses at the meet averaged $167,900 a program. The richest race of the season was the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic won by Cassatt, who was voted horse of the meet. Larry Jones trains Cassatt for Fox Hill Farms.

Deshawn Parker won his first Sam Houston riding title with 55 wins. He also led all riders in mount earnings with $657,746. Steve Asmussen picked up his seventh Sam Houston training title with 28 wins. Danny Keene won his second Sam Houston owners’ title with 15 wins.