Sam Houston Race Park will be home to an exciting Grand Re-Opening Weekend featuring the return of live racing and the first stakes race of the Quarter Horse meet, the $20,000 + Live Oak Stakes on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

The $20,000 + Live Oak Stakes race, the 10th race on Saturday’s extended 12-race card, will feature horses, ages three years and up, racing 350 yards. The field of nine competitors features Snowy Alibi as the morning line odds favorite at 2-1, with Wowzer Won coming in as the second favored horse with odds of 4-1.

Snowy Alibi will be ridden by jockey Jose Vega, a 23-year-old native of Reynoso, Mexico, trained by top-trainer Janet Van Bebber and owned by D. D. Lightsey. Snowy Alibi, who was purchased at the 2005 TQHA Yearling Sale for $38,000 by Lightsey of Caldwell, Texas, has been an outstanding horse for Van Bebber. He captured the $343,305 TQHA Sale Futurity on July 28, 2006, and in that same year returned to the winner’s circle in the $316,000 Grade I Sam Houston Futurity. The 5-year-old gelding, a 2006 Champion Accredited Texas-Bred Gelding, is only the third horse in Sam Houston Race Park history to win both premier races. Van Bebber, who has held Sam Houston Race Park’s top training title for several years, looks to keep Snowy Alibi on his streak of success.

In addition to live Quarter Horse racing events, the Verizon Wireless Summer Concert Series on the Bud Light stage will feature 80s rocker Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with special guests The Smithereens at The Showgrounds (www.theshowgrounds.com) immediately following the live racing program.

Live Quarter Horse racing continues every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May at Sam Houston Race Park. For a complete list of racing dates, stakes races and more, visit www.shrp.com or call (281) 807-8700.