(Austin, Texas - Tuesday, August 9, 2016) - At its meeting today, the Texas Racing Commission (TxRC) approved the following 2017/2018 race dates for Texas racetracks:

The Gillespie County Fair in Fredericksburg was granted its requested traditional eight-day mixed meet. Live racing will be held at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds in 2017 on July 1, 2, 15, and 16 and August 12, 13, 26, and 27. In 2018, Gillespie will hold live racing on July 7, 8, 21, and 22 and August 11, 12, 25, and 26.

Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie was granted a 50-day Thoroughbred meet that will run from April 20 to July 30, 2017 and a 26-day Quarter Horse meet that will run from September 15 through November 11, 2017.

Retama Park near San Antonio was granted a 26-day Thoroughbred meet that will run from September 1 through November 25, 2017. Retama's 20-day Quarter Horse meet will be conducted from June 9 through August 12.

Previously, in 2015, Sam Houston Race Park in Houston was granted a 32-day Thoroughbred meet from January 20 through March 14, 2017. Today, Sam Houston was granted a 24-day Quarter Horse meet that will run from March 31 through May 22, 2017, as well as a 32-day Thoroughbred meet that will run from January 19 through March 18, 2018.

In all, the 2017 race dates for Texas racetracks include 112 Thoroughbred race days, 70 Quarter Horse race days, and 8 days of mixed breed racing.