On Saturday, October 13, the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame will honor its 2007 inductees at the annual Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala at Retama Park. This year’s inductees are Preston Carter, Jr., Carl Nafzger, and several historic Texas racetracks. In addition, 2005 Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee D. Wayne Lukas, who was unable to attend his induction ceremony, will be an honored guest at the event.

The gala and induction of Hall of Fame honorees will be held before and during the races on Saturday, October 13, beginning at 4 p.m. The gala will include cocktails, a buffet dinner, and induction of the honorees.

In addition to the gala and induction ceremony, Retama Park will be host to six stakes races worth $500,000 in purse money that night. Four of the stakes will be raced on the Retama Park turf course, while the other two are Texas Stallion Stakes races, which are for two-year-old runners on the main track. The night’s signature event is the $100,000 Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, run at 1 1/16-mile on the grass. First post on Saturday, October 13 is 6:35 p.m.

Preston Carter, Jr. has the notable distinction of owning an All American Futurity (G1) winner, On A High, and leading sire, Sixarun. Carter is a life member of the Texas Quarter Horse Association (TQHA), the Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

Nafzger, born and raised in Texas, went on to become one of the top trainers in the United States. He is a two-time Kentucky Derby-winning, having saddled Unbridled to win the Run for the Roses in 1990 and 2006 Eclipse Award winning Champion Two-Year-Old Male Street Sense to duplicate that feat in 2007. In 1990, Nafzger received the Eclipse Award as the nation’s Outstanding Trainer.
Historic Texas racetracks kept horse racing alive from before the time horse racing was abolished in the 1930s until the current Texas Racing Act was passed in 1987. Most are no longer in operation but will be remembered in the Hall of Fame exhibit.

For more information about the inductees and the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, visit its website at www.txhorseracingmuseumandhalloffame.org.

Generous sponsorship packages for the event are available. For more information, please contact Sharolyn Grammer at (210) 651-7000 or by e-mail at retama@flash.net.

The Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame was originally incorporated in San Antonio, Texas as the “Retama Park Charitable Foundation” in April of 1995. Its name was changed to the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame in May of 2000 to more adequately reflect its vision: to become an educational institution that promotes the character and integrity of the Texas horse racing industry and highlights the enjoyment the sport provides.

Each year, since its inaugural event in 1999, the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame Gala has been held to recognize the accomplishments of Texas racing legends (individuals and horses) by inducting them into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The event is also designed to promote the rich history of the Texas horse racing industry; recognize and honor Texas racing legends; and educate the public on the sport of racing.

The Hall of Fame honors the horses, jockeys, trainers and breeders who have significantly influenced and contributed to the history of horse racing in Texas and is temporarily housed on the Clubhouse level at Retama Park Race Track. Visitors have an opportunity to learn about these historical figures through biographies, view awards from their achievements, see stunning trophies and beautiful silks.