Officials at Sam Houston Race Park have announced the cancellation of their
2008-09 Thoroughbred meet due to damages sustained by the facility as a result
of Hurricane Ike. The storm’s high winds and rainfall caused significant damage
throughout the property including the facility’s grandstands, stable areas and
the large infield tote board.
“We are extremely disappointed to have to cancel our Thoroughbred meet this
fall,” said Andrea Young, Chief Operating Officer of Sam Houston Race Park. “We
have worked hard to find a solution and meet the deadlines in order to race this
year, however; with the timeline for construction, it wasn’t a realistic
option.”
The track’s 65-day Thoroughbred meet was slated to begin November 28 and run
through April 4, 2009. The Park will re-open for live racing events on May 1,
2009, for a Quarter Horse meet.
“We look forward to returning to live racing in the spring. We will return
even bigger and better,” Young stated.
Over the next several months, significant repairs will be made to the roof of
the grandstand, a project which will require approximately three to four months
in order to complete. Portions of the stable and barn area will be rebuilt,
including dorm and tack rooms, as well as replacement of the tote board.
“We have worked for several weeks with some of the best experts in the
country to evaluate the complete scope of damages and explore options for
construction while keeping (Sam Houston) operational. We will keep the safety of
our staff and patrons at the forefront of all decisions during this period,”
Young said.
The majority of the damage to the grandstand area occurred as a result of a
complete roof system failure. Repairs to the roof will make both the suite and
club levels unusable by the public during any period of construction.
“We feel we can create a safe environment for simulcasting on our Paddock
level while construction is underway.”
Currently, Sam Houston plans to maintain regular hours of operations, 10:30
a.m. (CT) to 2:00 a.m. daily, for simulcasting events during the construction
period.
Sam Houston Race Park officials are working with Texas tracks and horsemen to
accommodate the loss of race dates.
“At this time, we are talking with industry leaders regarding the possible
movement of some or all of our Thoroughbred racing dates. There has been
progress, however; no final decisions have been made. Any changes regarding
Texas race dates are subject to the approval of the Texas Racing Commission.”
Hurricane Ike slammed into the Texas gulf coast on September 12. The
hurricane forced the track to end its 2008 Quarter Horse meet one week early and
suspend simulcast operations for more than a week.