Sam Houston boasts handle and attendance gains

Daily purses rose 5 percent to $170,000 per day, compared to $162,000 in

2012. For the third consecutive year Sam Houston was able to offer the highest

purse structure since opening in 1994. In total, the meet featured 23 stakes

races with purses of $1.7 million including four new stakes for Texas-breds.

Sam Houston officials also noted increases in both on-track and total handle.

Total handle was up 2 percent, with $43,917,000 wagered compared to $43,071,000

last year. Total on-track handle from Houston fans increased 9 percent.

Monday afternoon racing continued to be well-received by racing fans. On both

February 11 and March 18, the track led the nation in handle for the live cards.

Live attendance was up 10 percent from 2012 with sizeable crowds for several of

the racing festival events. One such event, which occurred on March 9 when the

track hosted the second annual Camel and Ostrich Races, attracted a crowd of

14,818 to top the record-setting attendance of 12,389 in 2012.

Texas horseman Danny Pish had another strong showing,

winning his fourth Sam Houston training title with 27 wins. He

showcased some promising rising stars, including Platinum Song, who captured the Bara Lass on Texas Champions Weekend.

"It was a great meet," Pish stated. "We started with

a bang, with the filly in the Bara Lass, and all in all, we kept winning races.

I was very pleased that two of my horses, Pharme's Phire and Temparnillo, were

undefeated this meet."

Pish, who operates a training center in Cibolo, Texas,

gave credit to his Sam Houston team, led by assistant Jasmine Daniels, for their hard

work over the last three months.

"I have to give a huge thanks to the team," Pish said. "I

always say the owner comes first, the horse is second and everyone from my

assistant to the jockeys to the hot walkers all play big roles. Jasmine did an

outstanding job and I am proud of both Roman (Chapa) and Gerardo (Mora)."

Steve Asmussen was second in the trainer standings with 17 wins; Jack Bruner saddled 16

winners and Brent Davidson finished the meet with 11 victories.

Last year as an apprentice rider, jockey Mora impressed

horsemen and fans with his talent and finished the meet in second place to

veteran Glen Murphy. This year, Mora started strong, dueling midmeet with

Murphy, before drawing off to win his first Sam Houston leading rider

title with 47 victories.

Mora won two stakes this season, taking the Bara

Lass for Pish before going on to capture the

Auto Nation Spring on March 16 with Legal Mind for Bruner.

"I want to thank all the people that have supported me in

Houston," Mora said. "My agent (Toby Cathey) and so many trainers named me on

great horses. I am very happy to be leading rider."

Born in Palestine, Texas, the 20-year-old Mora had family

ties to racing as his uncle, Adrian Ramos, has ridden in Texas, Louisiana and

New Mexico since 2001. Mora began working horses in Louisiana three years ago,

and rode as an apprentice at Retama Park near San Antonio in 2011. He was the

leading rider at Retama Park in their 2012 Thoroughbred meeting and will head to

Lone Star Park to see if he can win the rare Texas triple.

Murphy was second in the standings with 38 wins. Chapa had a strong season with 26 victories and Chris Landeros finished the meet

well with a total of 22 wins.

Prominent Dallas businessman Tom Durant won his second Sam

Houston leading owner title with 16 wins. He shipped in 36 starters,

all trained by Bruner, with a mix of maidens, allowance runners and stakes

horses. Rising star Legal Mind, a three-year-old daughter of Bellamy Road, ably

stepped up to stakes company to win the Auto Nation Spring.

Durant, whose previous owner title came in 2011, was

pleased with the meet and the success of their runners.

"All of our horses were coming off lay-offs," Durant remarked.

"We started slow, but then really took off. The meet turned out very well for

us."

"She showed us she can do it," he added about Legal Mind.

"Several others look they have potential to be quality stakes horses."

Durant is the owner of Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine,

Texas, and summed up the key to his long term association with Bruner.

"I let Jack choose where to run the horses; my job is to

sell enough cars to pay for them!"

End Zone Athletics Inc. was second in the standings with

six wins. Jose Luis Espinoza, Ralls and Foster LLC and Pharme Racing Ltd. were

tied with five victories each.

Live racing will continue at Sam Houston when the 2013 live American Quarter

Horse season commences on March 28. For more information on upcoming shows,

events and tickets, please visit shrp.com.

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