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Pettigrew Returning to Sam Houston, Retama

Horse racing veteran Bryan Pettigrew will return to Texas and oversee horse racing operations at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston and at Retama Park in Selma, PENN Entertainment announced Tuesday. Pettigrew previously was head of marketing at Sam Houston Race Park in the mid-1990s before joining the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and later the Breeders' Cup in Lexington, where he was the Chief Marketing Officer until 2019.

“I was excited when I got the call to join the PENN Entertainment team and head up their Texas operations,” Pettigrew said. “When I was previously at Sam Houston, I was able to grow handle and attendance, while educating businesses and a newer fan base about the fun, excitement, and economic impact of horse racing in Texas. I'm hoping to bring many of those same principles back and work with our talented management teams to grow our racing businesses in the Lone Star state,” he added.

Dwight Berube served as Vice President and General Manager of the property and its subsidiaries since 2017 and will be retiring in early June. Pettigrew will officially join PENN Entertainment on Jun. 5, pending customary regulatory approvals.

“I'm thrilled to have Bryan leading our Texas racing properties,” Christopher McErlean, Vice President of Racing for PENN Entertainment, said. “Horse racing in Texas has plenty of challenges but Bryan has a strong understanding of the horse racing business with his previous high-profile marketing and sponsorship roles within the industry and has maintained strong connections to many Texas racing stakeholders. He also brings a wide array of experience from outside of racing in professional sports management and special events which should positively impact our properties.

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Sam Houston, Lone Star Apply For 2023 Race Dates

Edited Press Release

During Wednesday's meeting of the Texas Racing Commission meeting, Sam Houston Park General Manager Dwight Berube confirmed that the Houston-area track will apply for 43 live race dates in 2023, beginning Jan. 6, 2023. The 2023 Texas live racing schedule will be similar to 2022, as Lone Star Park has already applied for 48 days.

While plans for the overall stakes program have not been finalized, the 2023 race meet at Sam Houston will feature the inaugural running of the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby and Oaks for graduates of the 2021 TTA Yearling Sale and 2022 TTA Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. The schedule will also include 10 Texas-bred stakes and two legs of the Clarence Schaubauer, Jr. Texas Stallion S.

“With Monday's Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale on the immediate horizon, we appreciate the continued support of the Texas tracks,” TTA Executive Director Mary Ruyle said. “On Monday, we will offer more than 200 yearlings, which is the most in recent history. Over the past couple years, we have made great strides in the quality of racing in Texas.”

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Sam Houston 2022 Season to Open Jan. 6

Sam Houston Race Park's expanded 50-day Thoroughbred meet will begin next Jan. 6 and will continue through Apr. 9. The dates were approved by the Texas Racing Commission Tuesday.

Sam Houston Race Park was granted 46 Thoroughbred days in 2021 and had one of its most successful seasons since it opened in 1994 as the first Class 1 racetrack in Texas. One of the major highlights was its $5.3-million handle for the annual Houston Racing Festival.

Sam Houston Race Park also received approval for its annual Quarter Horse racing season. The 25-day meet will begin Apr. 22 and continue through June 18.

“We are pleased that we have approval for next year's live racing schedule,” said Dwight Berube, Sam Houston Race Park's General Manager. “We are in the midst of planning for 2022 and look to build on the momentum that we were able to achieve this year.”

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Quarter Horse Dates Moved From Retama To Sam Houston Due To Ongoing Repairs

The 20-day 2021 Retama Park Quarter Horse live racing season, originally scheduled to begin June 24, will now take place at Sam Houston Race Park, as approved Tuesday by the Texas Racing Commission.

The transfer of dates was deemed necessary due to damage incurred by Retama Park as a result of the winter storm that affected Texas in February. Sub-freezing temperatures for a period of five days, along with subsequent damage from broken water pipes and sprinklers, caused significant damage to the grandstand, barn area and racing office. Repairs are underway but cannot be completed prior to the upcoming live Quarter Horse racing season.

Therefore, Sam Houston Race Park will host the entire meet, beginning on Wednesday, June 23 and concluding on Saturday, Aug. 7. Post time for all dates is 6:45 pm (Central).

June (4 Days):

Wednesday, June 23; Thursday, June 24, Friday, June 25 and Wednesday, June 30

July (12 Days):

Thursday, July 1; Friday, July 2; Wednesday, July 7; Thursday, July 8; Friday, July 9; Wednesday, July 14; Thursday, July 15; Friday, July 16; Wednesday, July 28; Thursday, July 29; Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31

August (4 Days):

Wednesday, August 4; Thursday, August 5; Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7

Modifications were made to the July schedule due to live racing at Gillespie Fair Grounds on July 3 and July 17 as well as the TQHA Yearling Sale, which will take place July 23 and July 24 at the Freeman Exposition Center in San Antonio.

“Our goal was to schedule the 20 race dates to accommodate Texas horsemen who are running in Fredericksburg and those attending the annual TQHA Yearling Sale,” said Dwight Berube, Vice President and General Manager of Sam Houston Race Park. “While we recognize that change in venues will not be easy for all parties, we acted in the best interest of Texas Racing.”

Sam Houston Race Park hosted one its most successful Thoroughbred meets earlier this year and the 2021 Quarter Horse meet, which began on April 23, is also exceeding expectations with full fields, strong handle and attendance numbers.

Purse funds will be transferred from Retama Park and will be bolstered by Sam Houston Race Park with daily overnight purses at approximately $220,000 per day. The stakes schedule, highlighted by the TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2), will be announced in the near future.

Stall applications for the upcoming meet are due by Friday, May 21. The racing office is under the direction of racing secretary James Leatherman; phone (281) 807-8780 and fax (281) 890-5485.

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