James McIngvale, a Houston horse owner known for his high profile promotions on behalf of his Gallery Furniture stores, is proposing a $2-million match race between Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sam Houston Race Park will begin repairs to the roof of its grandstand, as well as additional construction to rebuild portions of the stable and track areas, weather permitting beginning Jan. 22.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Andrea Young has been promoted to president and chief operating officer of Sam Houston Race Park and Valley Race Park in Texas, parent company MAXXAM Inc. announced Jan. 13. Young also joins the company's board of directors.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sam Houston Race Park canceled its 2008-09 meet and transferred 43 of its originally scheduled 65 days to Retama Park, a move approved by the Texas Racing Commission during a special meeting Oct. 28.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sam Houston Race Park will cancel the 2008/2009 Thoroughbred meet due to damages sustained by the facility as a result of Hurricane Ike. The storm's high winds and rainfall caused significant damage throughout the property including the facility's grandstands, stable area and the large infield tote board.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The 2008-09 Sam Houston Race Park meet probably won't make its Nov. 28 start date given extensive damage sustained by the track during Hurricane Ike, according to chief operating officer Andrea Young. Officials in Texas are studying alternatives should that be the case.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
The Texas Racing Commission has awarded 162 Thoroughbred racing dates for 2009, the same number granted for 2008.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The 4-year-old colt scores consecutive stakes wins with a victory in the Maxxam Gold Cup Jan. 26 at Sam Houston Race Park.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Texas Champions Day at Sam Houston Race Park Dec. 1 rewarded the faith of smaller Texas breeders and owners as favorites gave way to some surprising upsets in the eight stakes for accredited Texas-breds.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Texas-breds will take the spotlight at Sam Houston Race Park Dec. 1 for the track's annual Texas Champion Day program, which features eight restricted stakes worth more than $500,000.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Thoroughbreds have been allocated 162 racing dates for 2008--down from 169 this year--in Texas.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Retama Park will offer live Thoroughbred racing for more than two months this year under a request approved by the Texas Racing Commission.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mending Fences required little cooperation from Mother Nature as he led from gate to wire and won the $200,000 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IIIT) at Sam Houston Race Park by three-quarters of a length Saturday night.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Peter Vegso's Silver Tree has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the $200,000 John B. Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT), the highlight of closing weekend at Sam Houston Race Park Saturday.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Despite competition for wagering dollars and horses, the Texas Racing Commission granted three Class II racetrack licenses--one of them conditionally--at its March 20 meeting.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Robert L. Bork, president and general manager of Sam Houston Race Park, was elected the 33rd president of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) at its annual board of directors' meeting March 12. Bork succeeded Corey S. Johnsen, former president of Lone Star Park at the conclusion of his two-year term as TRA president.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
William S. Farish's homebred Student Council blazed to a 3 1/4-length victory in Saturday night's $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Major change is coming for Texas racing in 2007, with a decrease of more than a half-million dollars in funds for the Thoroughbred accredited Texas-bred program and almost three months without Thoroughbred racing.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Stewards in Texas have suspended jockey Lonnie Meche for a second time after he tested positive for amphetamines Nov. 5 at Sam Houston Race Park.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Sam Houston Race Park will shut down Sept. 22-24 because of Hurricane Rita, which is approaching the United States coast.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
A pair of old pros who own the last four wins in the Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap will hook up to keep the crown Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park.
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Alumni Hall, ridden by Robby Albarado, turned back the closing Colonial Colony in the stretch to win Saturday night's $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park by three-quarters of a length.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Chris Nolan's Colonial Colony, winner of the 2004 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, and William Farish, James Elkins, and Temple Webber's Alumni Hall, winner of the 2004 Black Tie Affair Handicap at Arlington Park, figure to vie for favoritism in the Jan. 22 Maxxam Gold Cup, a $100,000 event for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles at Sam Houston Race Park.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Bushwood Stables' Better Talk Now and Mansell Stables' Quest Star, both 5-year-olds, headline the April 10 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap, at $200,000 the richest race of the Sam Houston Race Park meet. The Connally is at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.
Thursday, April 08, 2004
The Texas Thoroughbred Association has made no decision on whether to appeal the ruling by Texas Judge Charles Mitchell that ordered the association to recertify Chauffe Au Rouge as an accredited Texas-bred racehorse. The TTA temporarily suspended action on the matter during its Feb. 19 board of directors meeting.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
The Texas Racing Commission has ruled horses with common ownership and trainers can run as separate betting interests during the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Sam Houston Race Park has cut purses after handle failed to meet purse projections. Overnight purses were adjusted 7%, effective Dec. 18, 2003 with the cuts to stakes purses beginning Jan. 17.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
A Sam Houston Race Park management team has received the green light from the Texas Racing Commission to begin applying for a license to operate a Class 2 racetrack in southwest Texas.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Breeders from the United States and Canada were honored Sept. 5 during a luncheon that included a call for the industry to get behind efforts to restore the NTRA Great State Challenge to the racing calendar for 2004.
Friday, September 05, 2003
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association board of directors has decided to scrap the Great State Challenge for this year given lack of sponsorship, but it hopes the event, inaugurated in 2002, will return next year.
Friday, August 01, 2003
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association continues to examine a vehicle to bring back the Great State Challenge later this year, and also is working with Visa in regard to a policy change that has hindered state-sanctioned account wagering in the United States.
Thursday, June 05, 2003
Though a self-imposed deadline has passed, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association continues to look for ways to bring back the Great State Challenge for 2003. Sponsors are being sought in earnest for the event, which debuted last year.
Thursday, May 01, 2003
Call Me Lefty, winner of two Texas Stallion stakes, was voted horse of the meet for the 2002/03 Sam Houston Race Park meeting. The 3-year-old Texas-bred is owned and bred by the Christine S. Moore Family Limited Partnership and is trained by Tommie Morgan. He was also named top 3-year-old of the meet.
Friday, March 28, 2003
Texas-based trainer Ramon Flores died Tuesday morning in car accident near Schulenberg, Texas. Flores and groom Rafael Hernandez were hauling three horses to Sunland Park in New Mexico when the trainer lost control of their van after hitting an icy patch on the road. Hernandez and the three horses escaped without injury.
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Texas-based trainer Ramon Flores died Tuesday morning in car accident near Schulenberg, Texas. Flores and groom Rafael Hernandez were hauling three horses to Sunland Park in New Mexico when the trainer lost control of their van after hitting an icy patch on the road. Hernandez and the three horses escaped without injury.
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Antibodies for erythropoeitin, a blood-doping substance commonly known as EPO, were found in six racehorses at Sam Houston Race Park, the Dallas
Morning News reported Feb. 18.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
The Great State Challenge will return to the calendar in 2003 if agreements are reached between a host site and horsemen's groups, and if "financial and other adjustments" are made, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association said Feb. 13 after a board of directors meeting in Florida.
Friday, February 14, 2003
Saturday's John B. Conally features seven-year-old Green Fee and Candid Glen, the winner of the last two runnings of the $200,000 race.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Fifty Stars is one of two Steve Asmussen trainees slated for the Gold Cup, while Dallas Keen and James Jackson try to replicate the 2000 win by Allen's Oop with Valhol.
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
It came down to the last race of the Great State Challenge, with Kentucky edging out Florida for bragging rights of the inaugural event held today at Sam Houston Race Park.
Saturday, December 07, 2002
Take Charge Lady and Forbidden Apple are among the favorites in their divisions of Saturday's Great State Challenge at Sam Houston Race Park.
Wednesday, December 04, 2002
Horsemen's associations from 11 states have submitted their selections for starting positions in the first NTRA Great State Challenge, presented by John Deere and Fed Ex, on Dec. 7 at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas.
Thursday, November 21, 2002
Bits and pieces from around the industry...
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Oak Tree to honor McCarron...Belmont guarantees $500,000 Pick 4 on Sept. 28...Sam Houston prepares to open for training and offers fans a chance to win a trip to the Breeders' Cup with its marathon handicapping contest...Johnny Rivers headlines Shoemaker Dinner.
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
The Texas Racing Commission has approved the live racing calendar for all Texas racetracks in 2003. Prior to TRC approval of the calendar, Retama Park and Sam Houston Race Park agreed during a private discussion to hold concurrent dates for live racing on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 next year.
Thursday, August 15, 2002
Maxxam, the industry conglomerate that owns Sam Houston Race Park, posted a huge first quarter loss after its aluminum operation declared bankruptcy. The bankruptcy is not expected to affect racing operations.
Thursday, May 23, 2002
Sam Houston Race Park ended its 82-day Thoroughbred meet with an increase in attendance but a decrease in on-track wagering.
Tuesday, April 02, 2002
Spring meet winners from Sam Houston, Maryland racing shifts to Pimlico, Eddie Perez' After the Races holds benefit for Roy Houghton.
Monday, April 01, 2002
An appeals court ruling handed down Jan. 17 spells trouble for a 24-hour casino being operated by Alabama-Coushatta Tribe in Livingston, Texas.
Friday, January 18, 2002
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association board of directors approved a $60-million operating budget for 2002, and officially chose Sam Houston Race Park in Texas to serve as host site of the first Great State Challenge late next year.
Friday, December 07, 2001
