Texas has a rich history when it comes to the love of all horses, which means there’s little surprise that racetracks are incredibly popular in the Lone Star State.
Thoroughbred racing has been staged in the state since 1836, and it was among the first to boast on-track action for visitors.
Since then, it has formed a central part of the sport’s success across North America, with the tracks around the state typically attracting massive crowds. In addition to the biggest racedays on the schedule, the sport also plays a vitally important role in terms of revenue for the state.
Big money is wagered on the racing throughout the year, meaning that the sport is constantly enjoying a boom period. However, you don’t even need to know what do odds mean in horse racing to enjoy the sport.
So, what are some of the most popular Texas racetracks to visit?
Lone Star Park
One of the most famous horse racetracks in Texas is Lone Star Park. It is located in Grand Prairie, and has two live racing meets per season. The first of which runs between April and July, before the Fall Meet of Champions run between September and November.
Lone Star covers a staggering 315 acres, and it is a must visit for all racing fans in the state. The dirt track covers a mile, and the turf track is seven-furlongs line. In terms of thoroughbred racing, the standout stakes race is the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile. This race, as the name suggests, covers a mile on the dirt.
It was first run in 1997, when it was previously named as the Texas Mile Stakes. The Steve Sexton Mile became the first listed stakes race to be staged in Texas in 1999, and it has been won by some talented runners in recent years.
Among those include Silver Prospector and Mythical Power. Lone Star also boasts excellent Quarter Horse racing throughout the season, including three Grade 1s such as the Texas Classic Futurity and Texas Classic Derby.
Retama Park
A year-long paradise for horse racing fans comes in the form of Retama Park, which was opened to the public in April 1995. The track is located in Selma, Texas, and is operated by Penn Entertainment.
It is listed as a class-one pari-mutuel racetrack, and is open 365 days a year, meaning that even when there isn’t racing on track, visitors can watch the action from across the United States via live broadcasts.
However, Thoroughbred racing is no longer staged at Retama, with the last two meets taking place in 2019. Since then, there have been plans to reintroduce thoroughbred racing, but plans are yet to materialise. Still, the track has proven to be a popular spot to watch live Quarter Horse racing, with a 23-day meet being staged this year between June and August.
Despite the success enjoyed, Retama is never far from financial issues, as it has never turned over a profit. But, Penn National Gaming’s purchase of the track in 2018 has promised brighter times ahead.
Sam Houston Park
Sam Houston Park is one of the most popular places to watch horse racing in Texas, with the track located in Houston. It hosts both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing throughout the season, and there are an excellent selection of festivals and events staged at the course during the off-season. Sam Houston was opened in April 1994, and it was classified as the first Class One Horse Racing venue in the state.
Approximately $90 million was spent to build the track and stands, and it was immediately popular among racing players, as it was labelled as one of the fastest growing tracks in North America. Expansion continued in 2000 when Sam Houston brought Valley Race Park to offer greyhound racing on top of the attraction of horse racing.
The largest gate at the track was set in July 2008 when a record 32,177 people passed through the gates. However, in recent times, the state has hindered the progression of the track, as the Texas Racing Commission has been locked in an ongoing fight with HISA, seeing wagering decline by 91% at Sam Houston.
The richest quarter-horse race on the schedule is the G2 Sam Houston Futurity, worth $200,000. Meanwhile, two Grade 3s are staged on the thoroughbred schedule. The G3 John B. Connally Turf Cup has been staged since 1995, with horses aged four and older competing over 1 ½ miles.
However, the most lucrative thoroughbred race on the schedule is the G3 Houston Ladies Classic, worth $400,000. This race is one of the newest added to the Sam Houston schedule, as it was competed for the first time in 2013. Since then, some talented runners have competed over the 1 1/16 mile distance at the track, with recent winners including Midnight Bisou and Letruska.
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Featured photo credit: R Hensley – Flickr: And They’re Off, CC BY 2.0