Sam Houston Race Park hosts a strong weekend of stakes racing, entertainment, and fan support while honoring Rob Werstler for his decades of service.

© Jack Coady Photogrpahy

By Leann Noguera, StallioneSearch

HOUSTON, TX–MAY 10, 2026–Sam Houston Race Park saw solid fan support throughout the weekend, with on-track wagering up on both Thursday and Friday compared to the same weekend in 2025.

Thursday’s on-track handle climbed to $39,726 from $34,461 last year, while Friday improved to $75,937 compared to $63,813 in 2025. Saturday continued to draw one of the stronger crowds of the meet, producing $105,958 in on-track wagering and helping push the three-day on-track total to $221,621, up from $212,088 a year ago.

Off-track wagering received a major boost on Saturday as bettors nationwide poured $440,727 into the card, a sharp increase over last year’s $277,185 for the same night. That strong finish helped the weekend’s total off-track handle reach $937,880.

Friday night’s entertainment featured a performance by the Selena Tribute Band, while Saturday hosted the annual Wine Tasting event.

Saturday night also recognized Rob Werstler for his longtime service and dedication to the Texas horse racing industry as he retired from the Texas Quarter Horse Association after more than four decades in racing, including nearly 30 years with TQHA.

Werstler spent many years serving as Director of Racing before becoming Executive Director in 2021. During Saturday’s recognition, leadership duties were officially passed to incoming Executive Director Scott Sherwood, who will also continue in his role as Director of Racing while leading the organization forward. The ceremony highlighted Werstler’s commitment to Texas racing, his steady leadership, and the lasting influence he leaves on the Quarter Horse industry.

“The TQHA has been a blessing to my family and me. I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years. I love this industry, the horses, the people. I leave the TQHA in good hands. Our staff is second to none," commented Rob Werstler in an interview prior to his retirement.

Following the tribute to Werstler, the evening shifted into a night of stakes competition, including three AQHA Challenge races — the Q-Racing Video Distance Challenge-G3, the John Deere Juvenile Challenge-G3, and the Adequan Derby Challenge — along with the John Buchanan Memorial and Leon Bard Memorial.

The night concluded with the inaugural $541,000 Texas Breeders’ Futurity and the $75,000 Sam Houston Classic. Dr. Tommy Hays was the winning nominator of the Texas Breeders’ Futurity.

The evening also delivered one of the more memorable winner’s circle moments of the meet as Jerry Deville and Jaime Cardenas of Double J Racing pledged to donate $20,000 from their Texas Breeders’ Futurity earnings to a charitable foundation selected by Sam Houston Race Park. Following the race, track handicapper Trey Stiles interviewed the partners in the winner’s circle.

The longtime partners have been buying and racing horses together since 2015 while balancing successful businesses and strong family involvement alongside their racing operation.

“We’ve been blessed to buy some really good horses from breeders like Dr. Hays and others,” Jerry Deville said. “Before the race even started, we both agreed we wanted to do something different in the winner’s circle that nobody has done before.”

“What we want to do is let the officials at this racetrack choose a foundation of their choice, and we’re going to donate $20,000 of our winnings to that foundation,” Deville continued.

He also praised the efforts of Sam Houston Race Park and its staff.

“We appreciate everyone at Sam Houston — the staff and everyone involved,” Deville said. “We know how much work goes into putting on these races, and we just want to say thank you.”

Deville also reflected on the story behind purchasing Cowboy Flying at the TQHA Yearling Sale, where they paid $53,000 for the gelding.

“At the sale, Luis, who works with Jaime, came to us and said, ‘I have a Flying Cowboy 123 horse you need to look at,’” Deville recalled. “I told him I had already looked at all those horses, but he said, ‘No, I’m serious, you need to come see this one.’ Jaime agreed, so we went to Dr. Hays and asked what was so special about him.”

“Dr. Hays told us they’d had a lot of good horses out of that mare, but they always seemed to leave Texas to race,” Deville said. “He said they would be obliged if we would be the high bidders on him. I told him, ‘Well, just don’t raise your hand when the bidding starts, and maybe we can afford him.’ Thankfully, it worked out, and here we are today.”

SATURDAY’S STAKES RACE RECAP
Click race below for the complete story.

Race 4: $43,478 Q-Racing Video Distance Challenge (G3)

Race 5: $52,000 John Buchanan Memorial Stakes

Race 6: $52,000 Leon Bard Memorial Stakes

Race 7: $58,344 Adequan Derby

Race 8: $106,029 John Deere Juvenile Challenge (G3)

Race 9: $541,000 Texas Breeders Futurity

Race 10: $75,000 Sam Houston Classic (G2)

Sam Houston Race Park will return to stakes action May 21-23 with trials for the Sam Houston Futurity-G2, Sam Houston Derby-G3, and Sam Houston Oaks. Trials for the Colors of Houston Futurity-G2 and Colors of Houston Juvenile will also be contested that weekend.

About Sam Houston Race Park
Sam Houston Race Park is Houston’s premier racing and entertainment facility, located just 15 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Owned by Penn Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ – PENN), the racetrack, which opened in 1994, offers a variety of attractions for businesses, group outings, and families during racing and the off-season. The track is best known for its award-winning dining. It features multiple areas for fans looking for casual to upscale dining options including its Winner’s Circle Restaurant, Jockey Club, Luxury Suites and Pavilion Centre. For more information or tickets to upcoming live racing, concerts and events, please visit www.shrp.com or follow on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or YouTube.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Would you like more industry news delivered directly to your inbox? Click here to sign up.