Sam Houston Race Park will start its 2025 Thoroughbred meet with purse cuts and fewer live race dates due to uncertainty about payments from a state incentive fund created to support the Texas horse industry.
Texas tracks have had their revenue streams constricted since February 2023 when the Texas Racing Commission took the position that the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has no legal standing to regulate horse racing in the state. By not recognizing HISA's authority, racetracks are prohibited from participating in interstate simulcasting.
Without simulcasting revenue, tracks have been more reliant on support from a Horse Industry Escrow Account created by the state legislature in 2019. The HIEA collects up to $50 million during the state's two-year fiscal year budget period from sales taxes on horse-related purchases (feed, tack, etc.) that is then paid back to the horse industry through purses and grants for breed incentive programs. Up to 70% of the funding can be allocated to purses for horse racing.
"With the uncertainty of TTA (Texas Thoroughbred Association) receiving HIEA 30% Funding by the Texas Racing Commission and no plans of a January 'Special Meeting' as Chairman (Robert) Pate mentioned, we feel it is necessary to make some reductions/changes to our upcoming Thoroughbred Meet," wrote Bryan Pettigrew, Sam Houston's vice president and general manager of racing operations, in a letter to horsemen.
A reduction in purses to $33,000 has been implemented for the following conditions for races scheduled from Jan. 10 through Feb. 16: $40,000 maiden special weights, $40,000 non-winners allowance races for 2-year-olds, and $40,000 non-winners allowance races for 3-year-olds.
Sam Houston also is cutting one race per race day from Jan. 10-Feb. 16, taking 18 races off its schedule.
Pettigrew said races during the first week of the meet Jan. 3-5 will remain at current advertising conditions for overnight races and stakes races. He wanted to notify horsemen of the purse changes in the overnight sheets for Dec. 29 to give them adequate time to make any necessary changes in training or shipping.
"Once the February TXRC meeting is completed, we can meet and make further adjustments," Pettigrew wrote.
Trainer Karl Broberg shared his reaction on the social media platform X: "Late Christmas gift courtesy of the amazing leadership we have seen since Texas Racing Commission went off the rails in their quest to make Texas racing irrelevant #ExcellenceStartsHere."
