Patrons going out to the August 1st season opener for Thoroughbred racing at Retama Park will receive a poster of the original 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral.

With live Thoroughbred racing scheduled to begin at Retama Park on August 1st, Texas' leading trainers are preparing their stables for tonight's opener. Retama Park's ninth season is proving to be very popular and attracting a number of new faces as well as many familiar ones.

“There has been a tremendous amount of interest from trainers wanting stalls for this meet,” said Retama Park Director of Racing Larry Craft. He added, “The number of stall applications exceeded 1,800. With 1,200 stalls available, we are obviously happy with the response from horsemen.”

Texas Horsemen's Partnership board member Danny Pish returns to defend his leading trainer title against some stiff competition. Steve Asmussen and Tommy Morgan, second and third behind Pish in 2002, are back with full barns. And there is a new face on the horizon who has plenty of firepower, or rather horsepower, in his stable – Jack Bruner.

Jack Bruner, who has taken over Ronny Werner's duties with Tom Durant's stable, will be coming to Retama Park for the first time. Durant, who is another Texas Horsemen's Partnership board member, is a major player on the national scene and wins graded stakes against the nation's top owners.

Among Durant’s arsenal is Forced Landing, a three-year-old colt by red-hot sire Forest Wildcat, who chalked up impressive wins against top allowance company at Keeneland and Churchill Downs and looms large over the South Texas competition. Another sophomore under Bruner's care is Kool Humor, winner of the Alysheba Breeders’ Cup Stakes at Lone Star Park. Finally, 2002 Arlington-Washington Futurity winner Most Feared, a super quick three-year-old colt, also leads the sophomore contingent.

Post time starts at 6:45 p.m. For seating reservations, call (210) 651-7100.