Sam Houston Race Park
Encyclopedia
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
located in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
northwest Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park hosts both Thoroughbred horse racing and American Quarter Horse
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
each year along with Country Music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, Rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and Classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
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 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 HorseAmerican Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
races are held from the beginning of March through the middle of May. The rest of the year the park is open for simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
racing around the United States.
Among many others, these are the races Sam Houston Race Park holds each year along with their purses:
- The Grade IIIGraded stakes raceA graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
$200,000 Connally Breeders’ Cup Turf - The $150,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup
- The $75,000 Martanza Stakes
- The $50,000 Jersey Lilly Stakes
- The $50,000 Sam Houston Turf Sprint Cup
- The $45,000 Mission Stakes
- The $45,000 Fort Bend Country Stakes
- The $45,000 Spring Stakes
- The $45,000 Sam Houston Oaks
- The $45,000 Texas Heritage Stakes
- The $45,000 Tomball Stakes
- The $45,000 Jersey Village Stakes
- The $29,250 Allen's Landing Stakes
- The $25,000 Space City Stakes
- The $25,000 Buffalo Bayou Stakes
- The $25,000 Black Gold Stakes
- The $25,000 Texans Stakes
Amenities
Along with the 7/8 mile track 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 JamLone Star State Jam
The Lone Star State Jam is an annual music festival held in Austin, Texas. The event is produced by 415 Productions, an Austin based company that coordinates and promotes many events in central Texas. Proceeds from the event go to The Young Texans Against Cancer. Ziegenbock is the presenting...
held in Austin, TX. A compilation of Country Music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk 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
Gary Allan
Gary Allan Herzberg is an American country music artist, known professionally as Gary Allan.Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his debut on the United States country music scene with the release of his single "Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album Used Heart for Sale,...
, Eli Young Band
Eli Young Band
Eli Young Band is an American country music band based in Denton, Texas. The band is composed of Mike Eli , James Young , Jon Jones , and Chris Thompson . They released their self-titled debut album in 2002, followed by the Carnival records release Level in 2005...
, Randy Rogers Band
Randy Rogers Band
The Randy Rogers Band is an American Texas Country group from the state of Texas. The band is composed of Randy Rogers , Geoffrey Hill , Jon Richardson , Brady Black , and Les Lawless . They have recorded four studio albums and two live albums, and have charted six singles on the Billboard Hot...
, and many more.