Sam Houston Race Park is a horse racing track located in unincorporated northwest Houston, Texas, United States. The park hosts both Thoroughbred horse racing and American Quarter Horse each year along with Country Music, Rock music, and Classic rock concerts.
History
The park opened on April 24, 1994 and is the first Class 1 Horse Racing venue constructed in Texas. It cost approximately $90 million to construct and is used as a concert venue when races aren't being held. The race park is considered fastest growing race track in America based on attendance over the past year.
Sam Houston bought Valley Race Park, a greyhound track in Harlingen, in 2000.
Sam Houston Race Park's largest attendance was recorded on July 4, 2008 with an attendance of 32,177.
Races at Sam Houston
The race track hosts two live race meets annually. Thoroughbred horse racing runs from late January till early March. American Quarter Horse races are held from the beginning of March through the middle of May. The rest of the year the park is open for simulcast racing around the United States.
Among many others, these are the races Sam Houston Race Park holds each year along with their purses:
Open:
- The $200,000 Connally Breeders’ Cup Turf Grade III 4 Up
- The $100,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup 4 Up
- The $75,000 Jim's Orbit Stakes 3yo
- The $75,000 Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint 4 Up
- The $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup 4 Up
- The $50,000 Houston Turf Stakes 4 Up (T)
- The $50,000 Bucharest Turf Sprint 4 Up (T)
- The $50,000 Groovy Stakes 3yo
- The $50,000 Space City Stakes 3yo
- The $50,000 Richard King Turf Stakes 4 Up (T)
- The $50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes 4 Up
- The $50,000 Star of Texas Stakes 4 Up
- The $45,000 Texas Heritage Stakes 3yo (T)
- The $45,000 Jersey Village Stakes 4 Up (T)
- The $30,000 Allen's Landing Stakes 3yo
Filly:
- The $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic Grade III F/M 4 Up (inaugurated in 2013)
- The $75,000 Two Altazano Stakes F 3yo
- The $50,000 Houston Distaff F/M 4 Up (T)
- The $50,000 Jersey Lilly Turf Stakes F/M 4 Up (T)
- The $50,000 San Jacinto Turf Stakes F/M 4 Up
- The $50,000 Bara Lass Stakes F 3yo
- The $45,000 Tomball Stakes F/M 4 Up (T)
Discontinued:
- The $75,000 Martanza Stakes F 3 yo
- The $45,000 Mission Stakes F/M 4 Up
- The $45,000 Sam Houston Oaks F 3yo
- The $45,000 Fort Bend Country Stakes 3yo
- The $45,000 Spring Stakes 3 yo
- The $25,000 Texans Juvenile Stakes 2yo
- The $25,000 Buffalo Bayou Stakes 4 Up
Amenities
Along with the 1-mile track & 7-furlong turf course for the horses, Sam Houston Race Park offers 8 bars, 2 restaurants, Grandstand suites, San Jacinto Suite, Celebration Suite, Director's Suite, Sam Houston Suite, and the House Suite. The park contains many concession areas on the Paddock and Club levels.
Concert Events
Sam Houston Race Park hosts many concerts throughout each year. Each year the park hosts the ZiegenBock Music Festival, a smaller version of the Lone Star State Jam held in Austin, TX. A compilation of Country Music's finest artists and many of the up-and-coming start of Texas country music brings thousands out to Sam Houston Race Park each year for the festival. The strong history of concerts at Sam Houston Race Park includes names such as Gary Allan, the Grammy nominated Eli Young Band, Randy Rogers Band, and international acts such as Hadiqa Kiani along with many more
See also
- Horse racing
References
External links
- Sam Houston Race Park Official Website
- Sam Houston Race Park at American Quarter Horse Racing
