The Texas Horsemen’s Partnership will hold meetings in early July to allow members to get information on and ask questions about various proposals on future racing dates in Texas.
According to published reports, racetracks have discussed the possibility of offering most Thoroughbred racing at Lone Star Park in 2011 in an attempt to increase average daily purses, some of which would come from Retama Park and Sam Houston Race Park. That proposal led the THP, which represents Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, and mixed-breed participants, to issue a release explaining the situation.
“Nothing has yet been decided regarding 2011 race dates in Texas,” THP executive director Marsha Rountree said in a statement. “For some time, the THP has been in constant contact with the management of the Texas racetracks, as well as its member horsemen, concerning a number of proposals that have been suggested regarding 2011 race dates in Texas.”
The THP meetings will be held July 1 at Lone Star and July 2 at Sam Houston. Thereafter, the group said it will hold a meeting with industry stakeholders, and a THP committee will then “endorse a recommended 2011 race date calendar for Texas that it believes will best serve the needs of its member horsemen during a very difficult time for horse racing in Texas.”
Texas tracks are losing horses to tracks with gaming-fueled purses in neighboring states—Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
The Texas Racing Commission will hear from stakeholders on the options for 2011 dates before it takes action at its Sept. 14 meeting, the THP said.