Texas dates in '09 much the same

Lone Star Park near Dallas has received approval for a 65-day Thoroughbred meet for 2009 by the Texas Racing Commission. The dates are traditional ones for the track, with the meet set to open on April 9 and continue through July 26. There also will be little change to next year's Thoroughbred schedules at the state's other major tracks, Sam Houston Race Park in Houston and Retama Park near San Antonio.

Sam Houston received 65 Thoroughbred days and will race 47 of them from Jan. 1 through April 4 as part of a continuation of its winter-spring meet that opens this year on Nov. 21. Sam Houston was also awarded 18 Thoroughbred dates from Nov. 27-Dec. 31.

Retama will race 32 nights from Aug. 28 to Nov. 7. It will be the lone meet next year at Retama, with the track's Quarter Horse season to be moved to Sam Houston in a one-year agreement. Sam Houston will conduct 54 days of Quarter Horse racing , from May 1-Aug. 29.

Lone Star was granted a 31-day meet for Quarter Horses, from Sept. 25-Nov. 28.