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Sam Houston Raises Purses

Sam Houston Race Park announced Sunday that it will raise its overnight purses for the remainder of the 2021 Thoroughbred meet. The increases will go into effect starting Wednesday, Feb. 17 and will continue through closing day, Apr. 3. All main track purses will be increased by $7,000, while turf purses will see a $2,000 bump. The track cited strong handle figures, which are up 40% year over year including a record-setting handle of $5.3 million on the Houston Racing Festival card Jan. 31, as the reason for the changes. Sam Houston offers some of the nation's lowest takeout rates, with an industry-low 12% on multi-race wagers.

“This increase would not be possible without the ongoing support from our horsemen,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing Operations. “We welcomed back a solid number of barns and received stall applications from many new outfits this year. Additionally, we had tremendous interest from nationally prominent trainers for our six Houston Racing Festival stakes. Racing fans continue to respond to our racing product and comprehensive wagering menu.”

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Lone Star Announces 48-Day 2021 Schedule With 20 Stakes

Lone Star Park’s Thoroughbred Racing Season will begin Thursday, April 22, 2021 and have an increased 48 days of racing before concluding July 11, the track announced Tuesday. The calendar features live racing every Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 2:35 p.m., select Thursdays at 6:35 p.m. and select Mondays at 2:35 p.m. Special Triple Crown post times of 1:35 p.m. and a July 4 twilight post time of 5:00 p.m. will round out the schedule.

Lone Star’s 2021 stakes schedule will run a total of 20 stakes worth a combined total of $2,225,000. At the top of the schedule is the $400,000 GIII Steve Sexton Mile for 3-year-olds and up, the new $300,000 Texas Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles (plus up to $100,000 for Texas-breds) and the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff on turf. Those stakes, plus several other six-figure events, are all to take place on Memorial Day, May 31 as the track revives Lone Star Million Day, which was last held in 2011.

Purse levels will average an estimated $252,000 per day with maiden races at an estimated $36,000. Find the entire stakes schedule on Lone Star’s website here.

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Record Handle for Lone Star’s Meet

A record $2.1 million in average daily handle from off-track sources was recorded at Lone Star Park for its recently concluded Thoroughbred meet. The amount marked a 131% increase from 2019. The previous comparative high of $2 million a day was in 2002, but the Texas track did average a daily all-source handle of just over $2.2 million in 2004 when hosting the Breeders’ Cup.

“With the success of this season behind us, we are eager to keep the momentum going into next year and feel the future is bright for horse racing at Lone Star Park and in Texas,” said Kent Slabotsky, Lone Star’s vice president of operations.

Field sizes also increased by over 20%, as did purses by 34%, or up to $261,000 per day. Steve Asmussen won his 13th leading trainer title at the Texas track with 50 races won worth $1,463,385 during the season. Jockey Ramon A. Vazquez was the leading rider of the meet with 58 wins totaling $1,343,946 and Mike Sisk of M and M Racing was top owner of the meet with 29 wins worth $587,235 in earnings.

Lone Star will switch over to a season of Quarter Horse racing Friday, Sept. 4.

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