Houston, Texas (March 26, 2010) - Sam Houston Race Park will host its final stakes event of the 2009/2010 Thoroughbred racing season with the MAXXAM Gold Cup, featuring ninelive races and more than $200,000 in purse money this Saturday, March 27, 2010. Highlights of the nine-race card include the $100,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup and the $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff, which showcases the country’s older and most elite horses.

Gates open at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, and The Park will broadcast the $10 Million Dubai World Cup; first post from Dubai at 8:20 a.m.; World Cup post time at 12:45 p.m. The Park will also simulcast the 97th Running of the Grade II $750,000 Louisiana Derby; post time at 4:48 p.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be provided from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. outside the Player’s Lounge.

The Park will host a special FREE handicapping seminar featuring discussion and Q&A session at 7:15 p.m. on the Club Level with Martha Claussen from Sure Bet Racing News, Vice President of Racing Eric Johnston and Mike Steindler, Director of Player’s Services.

The $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff, the sixth race on the card, features a field of eight fillies and mares, ages four and up, racing a distance of 1 1/16 mile on the dirt track. This year’s favorite, Bubbler (3-1), is a four-year-old filly trained by one of The Park’s leading trainers, Bret Calhoun, and owned by Du-Zee Stables. Bubbler was guided in her last two races by jockey Eddie M. Martin, Jr. and has previously claimed the Fair Grounds’ $60,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap in January. The remainder of the eight-horse field includes the return of jockey Quincy Hamilton, who has the reins on Return The Jewel (4-1), along with Smooth Sea (5-1), Crack of Dawn (6-1), Super Esther (8-1), IDreamOfAfrica (8-1), Shine Softly (7-1), and Diva D’Oro (6-1).

The $100,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup, the eighth race on the night’s card, will feature a 10-horse field of four-year-olds and up competing in a 1 1/8 mile race on the dirt track. The morning line favorite is Going Ballistic (3-1), who is trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel. Going Ballistic, who will be ridden by Quincy Hamilton, is coming off several quality workouts but has not raced since January. Hamilton will returns to The Park for the first time since the 2007/2008 Thoroughbred Meet, where he was a crowd favorite and finished in the top of the jockey standings. The last win for this stallion was in September of 2009, after claiming the $150,000 Governor Cup Stakes at Remington Park. The six-year-old is owned by Kindred Thoroughbreds LLC. The remainder of the 10-horse field features Tybalt (4-1), Red Lead (5-1), Mad Flatter (6-1), Numismatist (3-1), Jake Wil Gallop (12-1), Dumar (10-1), Fifteen Love (15-1), Ready Set (10-1), and Gretsky (6-1).

In addition to live racing events, as fans enter The Park, they will receive a FREE MAXXAM Gold Cup baseball cap courtesy of Verizon Wireless. The celebration will also feature the debut of Executive Chef Hugo Gomez’s Chef’s Table dining package in the Winner’s Circle restaurant, a National Anthem performance from Senior SHRP Idol winner Mia Washington, and between-race promotions from Verizon Wireless, Bud Light, Spring Dodge and L’Auberge Du Lac Casino Resort.

Ticket packages start at $19 per person and include: (1) reserved counter seat on the Club Level, (1) live racing program, (1) $2 wagering coupon, (1) burger basket and (2) small beers or sodas. For more information call (281) 807-8760 or visit www.shrp.com.