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Deal Underway To Move Retama Park Live Quarter Horse Dates to Sam Houston Race Park This Year
Retama Park's 2021 live Quarter Horse race dates could be moved to Sam Houston Race Park this year.

© Courtesy SHRP
Deal Underway To Move Retama Park Live Quarter Horse Dates to Sam Houston Race Park This Year

SELMA, TX—MAY 11, 2021—According to an article published in the TRACK Magazine's Monday Report, Retama Park has asked to shift its 2021 live race dates to Sam Houston Race Park.

Track management cited damages suffered at the Selma racetrack during the recent Texas-wide ice storm earlier this year as the reason. The facilty is currently under repair but will not be completed in time for the June 24th Quarter Horse opening day.

Retama Park is currently scheduled to conduct a 20-day race meet, Thursday through Saturday evenings, accept for Saturday, July 17th. That meet would conclude August 7th.

The proposed deal to shift the Retama Park's live race dates to Sam Houston Race Park is currently under discussion and could be finalized during at the May 18th meeting of the Texas Racing Commission.

Sam Houston Race Park's live Quarter Horse meet that is currently underway is scheduled to run through June 12th. If approved the Retama dates could start shortly after in Houston.

The majority of the Retama Park stakes scheduled would be expected to be run in Houston if the change is made. The biggest race scheduled for the meet is the $500,000 est. TQHA Sale Futurity(RG2).

The 2021 annual TQHA Yearling Sale is scheduled for July 30-31 at The Freeman in San Antonio. However if the Retama Park race dates are moved to Sam Houston, there is a possibility for the Houston racetrack. to be dark on July 23-24 and the TQHA Yearling Sale to remain at the Freeman but move up to accommodate sale goers on that weekend.

TQHA will make an announcement regarding the sale after the moved race dates are approved by the commission.

Additional TQHA sponsored stakes that could move from Retama Park to Sam Houston if the meet change is made includes the $75,000-added TQHA Sires Cup Futurity and the $50,000-added TQHA Sires Cup Derby.

Purse funds from Retama would move to Houston if the dates are moved. A new stakes schedule for the Retama stakes races would be released shortly after the deal is completed.

For additional information visit the TQHA website at tqha.com or call the association at (512) 458-5202.