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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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Acton Appointed Sam Houston Racing Secretary

Veteran racing official Mike Acton has been hired as Sam Houston Race Park's track's Racing Secretary. He assumed the role on Feb. 3 and will serve in the same capacity at Retama Park and Zia Park during their respective meets this year.

“Mike is an experienced racing professional who has deep connections in our region that will serve the industry well,” Sam Houston Vice President and General Manager Dwight Berube said.

Acton most recently served as the Racing Secretary at both Remington Park and Lone Star Park.

“I am going to miss my co-workers at Remington and Lone Star,” Acton said. “But I am humbled to work with great people at Sam Houston and Retama and am excited about meeting everyone at Zia Park.”

The Sam Houston Thoroughbred meet continues through Apr. 8.

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Texas Commission Approves Expanded Thoroughbred Dates At Sam Houston

The Texas Racing Commission approved 2022 race dates at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 27.

Sam Houston Race Park will kick off its 2022 live racing season on Thursday, Jan. 6 with an expanded 50-day Thoroughbred meet. Racing will be held Thursdays through Saturdays, and the Thoroughbred meet will conclude on Saturday, April 9.

Sam Houston was granted 46 Thoroughbred days in 2021 and had one of the 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. Houston Ladies Classic (G3) winner St. George Stable's Letruska continues to deny her rivals in graded stakes competition across the United States.

Sam Houston also received approval for their annual Quarter Horse racing season. The 25-day meet will begin on Friday, April 22 and continue through Saturday, June 18.

The Commission also approved 48 Thoroughbred dates from April 28 through July 24 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Tx., with races held Thursday through Sunday.

A total of 78 Quarter Horse dates were approved across three tracks: Lone Star, Sam Houston, and Retama (Selma, Tx.)

Eight mixed dates were also approved for the Gillespie County Fair.

The post Texas Commission Approves Expanded Thoroughbred Dates At Sam Houston appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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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