25th thoroughbred season opener to include camel, ostrich races

Sam Houston Race Park begins its 25th year Friday with a new schedule.

SHRP has ambitiously dropped Monday programs and shifted those to Wednesday, which is a bigger national racing day that lures more simulcast betting.

Longtime track vice president Dwight Berube, who has added general manager to his title, made that decision.

“There’s heavier competition on that day,” Berube said. “We look forward to it.”

For the most serious horse owners and trainers, the season starts without a bang. Friday’s 7 p.m. opening card and Saturday’s 6 p.m. program will mix cheaper races with ostrich and camel dashes.

“We’re starting the season with ostrich and camel events because they get so much attention,” Berube said. “That’s what we want on our first weekend.”

The novelty programs often attract 10,000 people.

Elite runners dominate the second weekend. On. Jan. 27, Texas-breds will compete in four $50,000 features.

On Jan. 28 — the meet’s only Sunday afternoon card — the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic offers what appears to be the nation’s biggest purse that day as a check of Santa Anita, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream and Aqueduct schedules reveals no other purse approaching $400,000.

Horse Racing Nation lists Champagne Room and Valladorna as “probable” entrants. Fourteen months ago, they ran 1-2 in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly race.

The Sunday program also includes a $200,000 grass race, the Connally Turf, and four other stakes races with payoffs as great as $75,000.

In addition to one Sunday, the 32-date season offers racing on five Tuesdays, eight Wednesdays, nine Fridays and nine Saturdays.

Sam Houston Race Park lists approximate first-race times as noon for Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 7 p.m. for Friday, and 6 p.m. for Saturday.