(October 16, 2003)- Live Thoroughbred racing will return to Sam Houston Race Park on Thursday, October 23. The November schedule for the 2003/2004 meeting will feature live racing each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. There will be a special 5:00 p.m Breeders’ Cup post time on Saturday, October 25 and Texas Champions Day, set for Saturday, November 15 will begin at 6:00 p.m. There will be no live racing on Thanksgiving day.

The Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship Day, held at Oak Tree at Santa Anita will feature racing’s elite competing for over $14 million in purses. That exciting day of stakes racing, which will be simulcast at Sam Houston Race Park, is the pinnacle of the sport of horse racing. While those horses tend to get the majority of media and public attention, racing would not be possible without a wide, strong base of "everyday" horses running in lower level claiming races. Those "barroom brawlers" not only challenge each other when they run every other week or so, but challenge those that handicap those races trying to pick a winner.

Sam Houston Race Park is pleased to announce the return of the Cash Over Texas Starter Challenge, a series of races for Thoroughbreds that have run for a claiming price of $5,000 or less since June 30, 2002. There will be both sprint and distance divisions with a bonus of $5,000 that will be divided among the owners of the top three finishers in each division. The distance in each division will increase offering owners and trainers a chance to benefit from bonus money awarded to the horse that meets the "challenge".

"We wanted to create some incentives for Thoroughbreds at a claiming level to earn bonuses and recognition," said Eric Johnston, Sam Houston Race Park racing secretary. "The Cash Over Texas Starter Challenge should be positively received by our horsemen and will offer our racing fans a competitive series of races."

The Cash Over Texas Starter Challenge Sprint Division will begin on Friday, November 7 with a five furlong dash and culminate on Friday, March 26 with the final race to be run at one mile. The distance division commences Friday, November 21 at 1 mile and 70 yards and concludes Friday, April 9 with a 1 and ¾ mile marathon. Points are awarded on a 10-5-3-1 basis for first through fourth and to be eligible for bonus money a horse must compete in at least five of the six division races.

Horsemen who are interested in nominating horses for the Cash Over Texas Starter Challenge may contact the Racing Office at 1-800-807-RACE or visit the Sam Houston Race Park web site at www.shrp.com.