(Houston, Texas - Friday, May 21) - Sam Houston Race Park will kick off its fourth weekend of live Quarter Horse racing this weekend, hosting trial races for the $50,000 TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity (RG2) and $25,000 TQHA Sires’ Cup Derby (RG3) this Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22, respectively. Also highlighting Saturday’s live racing card will be the $15,000 SHRP Distance Stakes.

Friday night’s live racing card will feature 11 races, including trials for the TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity, a 350-yard race featuring two-year-old sprinters, taking place Race 2 through Race 9. Ones to watch in the trials will be SNA Reyna Time (4-1), trained by The Park’s current leading trainer Shawn Friesenhahn and ridden by top jockey Luis Ramirez; Executive Precision (3-1), trained by another top trainer, Eusevio Huitron and ridden by jockey Enrique Gonzalez; and Cant Shake My Fame (5-1), trained by Sam Houston Race Park veteran Janet Van Bebber and guided by established jockey James Brooks.

Saturday night will also feature 11 live races, with trials for the TQHA Sires’ Cup Derby, featuring three-year-olds going 400 yards, taking place from Race 2 through Race 6. This year’s top contenders include: Chance O Toole (5-2), trained by Paul Ramirez and ridden by jockey Luis Ramirez, and Nancys Ocean (2-1), who will be guided by jockey David Alvarez and trained by last year’s leading trainer, Bobby Touchet.

Finals for the TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity and Derby will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2010.

The $15,000 SHRP Distance Stakes will be the ninth race on Saturday’s live racing card. The 870-yard race will be for distance runners three-years-old and up. The morning line favorite is JC My Diamond Man (2-1), who will be ridden by jockey Ignacio Bustamante. The five-year-old gray gelding is trained by J. Benny Pennington and owned by Clem D. Nava, III. The gelding had a streak of four wins in a row during The Park’s 2009 Quarter Horse Meet and narrowly missed Horse of the Meet honors.

“He really likes the surface here at Sam Houston and does well here,” commented Pennington. “He’s back this summer to prove he’s one of the best long-distance sprinters, and we plan on him doing even better than last summer’s meet.”

The stakes race will feature a field of seven horses, including DM Traffic, Blue Ribbon Dash, Big Bad N Brown, Cant Pass Me, Thats The Man and Show Me The Paddick.

In addition to live Quarter Horse racing events, The Park will host Party on the Patio Steak Night featuring admission, steak dinner and a twice baked potato for just $12 along with $2 draft beer available from 4:00-8:00 p.m.