Tammaro to Oversee Player Development at Sam Houston

Sam Houston Race Park is pleased to announce that Nick Tammaro, who has served as the track’s announcer since 2022, has joined the organization full-time, serving as Player Development Manager in addition to continuing his announcing duties. His responsibilities will include fan education, on-track wagering development and overseeing handicapping contests. The role will include similar responsibilities at Retama Park for their upcoming meet beginning in June. Bryan Pettigrew, Sam Houston’s Vice President and General Manager, has made enhancing the experience for on-track fans a priority in recent years. “We are eager to utilize Nick’s experience and knowledge on the topics of wagering, handicapping and player development. He has a tremendous passion for the game and will help us continue to enhance the experience of our fans and bettors.” Tammaro is a nationally renowned handicapper and racing personality and was a long-time fan and patron at Sam Houston prior to becoming the track announcer. “I was at SHRP on opening weekend 31 years ago and have always felt it was like a second home,” Tammaro said. “The opportunity to align my passion for racing and developing new fans with the place where I am lucky enough to call races is a dream come true.” Opening day of the 2026 racing season at SHRP is on January 2 and weekly on-site qualifying tournaments for the 3rd annual Houston Betting Championship will begin on January 3. The Houston Betting Championship is a $1,500 bankroll live money contest on January 24 as part of the Houston Racing Festival and will award 4 qualifying spots to the National Horseplayers’ Championship (NHC) and 2 qualifying spots to the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. On the evening of January 23, SHRP will offer a $500 bankroll live money contest with 2 spots awarded to the NHC as well as the Houston Betting Championship. Click here for more information. “We only re-introduced the contest concept to our bettors in recent years and have been overwhelmed by the support thus far,” Tammaro said. “We had over 100 entries in last year’s HBC and look forward to eclipsing that number in 2026 and seeing many of you in January!” In addition to contests, Tammaro will oversee the development of a “Bet Central” station on the track’s Club Level, where experienced handicappers will offer assistance to newcomers who want to learn more about wagering. Pettigrew sees this as an important development given the number of new attendees at Sam Houston Race Park each year. “We are in a major metropolitan area so getting people into our facility is job #1,” he said. “If we can help them learn the process of handicapping and wagering we know that will help us continue to create long-term bettors, which is pivotal.”