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SAM HOUSTON RACE PARK ANNOUNCES
DATES FOR 2012 LIVE THOROUGHBRED MEET
HOUSTON, TX - Sept. 21, 2011 - Sam Houston Race Park will open its 19th Annual
Live Racing Season with the opening of its Thoroughbred Meet on Friday, January
20, 2012. The Texas Racing Commission granted the racetrack a total of 31 days
of live Thoroughbred racing in a meeting held earlier today.
Beginning on Friday, January 20th, the Thoroughbred Meet will host approximately
ten live races each Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday through March 12th. In
addition to four days of live racing each week, live racing events each Saturday
will culminate with a stakes race featuring purses of $50,000 or more.
The2 012 Thoroughbred Meet will feature 15 stakes races totaling more than
$1.1million in purses over the course of the 31-day meet. The stakes program
will once again be highlighted by the Grade III $200,000John B. Connally Turf
Cup, The Park’s signature event, on January 28, 2012.
The 2012 Thoroughbred stakes schedule will begin with an exciting change to
Texas Champions Day on opening weekend, and for the first time ever the
traditional one day event will be extended over two days starting on Friday,
January 20 and continuing on Saturday, January 21. Texas Champions Weekend will
feature over $400,000 in total purses beginning Friday, a day highlighted for
fillies and mares carrying over to Saturday, a day that will feature open races
for Texas-breds. The Texas-themed live racing event will include seven
high-dollar stakes races; the $100,000 Star of Texas S takes for 4-years-old and
up, $50,000 Richard King Stakes, $50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes, $50,000 San
Jacinto Stakes for fillies and mares, $50,000 Yellow Rose Stakes, $50,000 Bara
Lass Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and the $50,000 Groovy Stakes for
3-year-olds.
“TexasChampions Weekend is a weekend for us to celebrate Texas Thoroughbred
horses, trainers, breeders and owners,” said Andrea Young, President of Sam
Houston Race Park. “We have taken what is historically one of our most
significant days in racing and expanded it across two premier racing nights. We
appreciate the Texas Thoroughbred Association for helping us make it happen and
we look forward to offering some of the best live racing in the country on
opening weekend at Sam Houston Race Park.”
In addition to Texas Champions Weekend, the 2012 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule
also includes: January 28: $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, February 4:
$50,000 Jersey Lilly Stakes, February 11:$50,000 Rail Splitter Stakes, February
18: Texas Stallions Day,$100,000 Jim’s Orbit Stakes & $100,000 Two Altazano
Stakes, February25: $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff, March 3: $150,000 MAXXAM Gold
Cup and March 10: $50,000 Texas Heritage Stakes.
Live American Quarter Horse racing will start on Thursday, March22th and run
through Saturday, May 19th with races every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sam
Houston Race Park, the Texas Quarter Horse Association (TQHA) and the American
Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) are finalizing the 19th Annual American Quarter
Horse stakes schedule. For the full calendar of Sam Houston Race Park’s 2012
live race dates, visit www.shrp.com .
Sam Houston Race Park is Houston’s premier racing and entertainment facility,
located just 15 minutes from downtown Houston, and offers a variety of
attractions including 19 luxury suites overlooking the race track, The Pavilion
Centre, and award-winning dining options at the Winner’s Circle Restaurant and
the Champion Energy Services Jockey Club. For more information on upcoming
shows, events and tickets, please visit
www.shrp.com .
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