A Thoroughbred stakes schedule worth $1.7 million will be offered at the Sam Houston Race Park 2014 Thoroughbred meet, which spans 32 days from Jan. 17-March 11. The schedule was recently approved by the Texas Racing Commission.
The Houston Racing Festival, which features the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic, is slated for Jan. 25. The card will include the $200,000 Connally Turf Cup (gr. IIIT), $75,000 Champion Energy Stakes, and $50,000 Allen's Landing Stakes.
Texas Champions Weekend is Jan. 17-18, when seven stakes for state-bred runners will be offered.
"Our goal in 2013 was to improve the quality of our live racing product, and the Houston Ladies Classic and Connally really set the tone for a great season," Sam Houston president Andrea Young said in a release. "We look forward to raising the bar even higher in 2014."
Racing will be offered four days a week: Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. CST and Mondays and Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Tuesday racing will replace Sunday racing.
"We have been really pleased with the growth of Mondays since we added them in 2011," Young said. "We are hoping to replicate some of that success with the addition of Tuesdays this coming season."
