Season Opens with Inaugural $541,000 Texas Breeders’ Futurity Trials – Highlighting Opening Weekend
HOUSTON, TX – Live Quarter Horse racing returns to Sam Houston Race Park as the 2026 meet gets underway April 16 and runs through June 13. Live racing will be conducted every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening with a 6:30 p.m. first post.
Opening night on Thursday, April 16, features a full card of nine Quarter Horse races.
The highlight of the weekend quickly turns to Friday, April 17, with trials for the inaugural $541,000 Texas Breeders’ Futurity, the only futurity in the state restricted exclusively to Texas-bred juveniles. A total of 149 Accredited Texas-bred 2-year-olds will compete across 15 trial heats at 330 yards, with 55 trainers represented.
“It’s exciting to start the meet off with a half-million-dollar futurity,” said Sam Houston Racing Secretary Mike Acton. “We have the AQHA John Deere Juvenile trials, Adequan Derby trials, and Q-Racing Distance Challenge trials next week, and our Grade 2 Classic just 2 weeks later on May 9th, along with the finals for the Texas Breeders Futurity, two Grade 3 challenge finals, the John Buchanan and Leon Bard Stakes. This meet is action packed and full of great opportunities for everyone and lots of fast horses.”
Trainer Marc Jungers will send out the most starters, with thirteen on the night’s card. Among them, Coronas First Cowboy enters as a proven winner. The colt, by Flying Cowboy 123, broke his maiden on March 7 in an Oklahoma Futurity trial, prevailing in a tight four-horse photo that highlighted both his determination and finishing strength.
Owned by Antonio Mercado, who purchased him for $62,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale, Coronas First Cowboy will be ridden by Christian Ramos. Bred by Paragon Farms, LLC, he is out of Coronas First Diva by Corona Cartel.
Another contender to watch appears in the ninth trial with Apollitical Cowboy, a colt who has already proven his ability to compete at a high level. He qualified to the Louisiana Downs Futurity and most recently finished fifth after a troubled start.
Apollitical Cowboy is also by Flying Cowboy 123. Bred by JP Quarter Horses, he is out of Too Kool To Return by High Rate of Return. Purchased for $50,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale by Luis Armando Castellanos and Alfonso Rangel, he is trained by Santiago Villaseca and will break from post three under Victor M. Urieta Jr.
The spotlight, however, shifts firmly to the twelfth trial heat, with one of the most accomplished juveniles in the field, Whoopie Cowgirl. She turned heads with a dominant schooling race at Retama Park before shipping to Louisiana Downs, where she posted the fastest qualifying time and returned to win the Louisiana Downs Futurity from gate-to-wire by a half-length.
Owned by Denis Moran, who acquired her for $35,000 at the TQHA Yearling Sale, Whoopie Cowgirl has already earned $143,854 from two starts. Bred by Marc E. Rigby, DVM, she is also by Flying Cowboy 123 and out of Tacarosie by Tac It Like a Man. Trainer Ramiro Barajas Villareal will saddle her from post four with Jorge Garcia aboard.
The ten fastest qualifiers from Friday night will return for the May 9 final, which will share the card with six additional stakes, including the Sam Houston Classic and the John Deere Juvenile.
“In addition to the lucrative purse, we are offering a $20,000 Nominators Award, which will be distributed among the top four finishers, including $10,000 to the winner, $5,000 to second, $3,000 to third, and $2,000 to fourth,” said the TQHA Executive Director and Director of Racing, Scott Sherwood.
PROMOTIONAL EVENTS
To round out the season, Sam Houston Race Park will offer a full slate of promotional events. Fan favorites include Corgi Racing on April 25, a Wine Tasting event on May 9, and Shoppa’s Lawn Mower Races paired with Whiskey Tasting on June 13.
The meet also aligns with the Triple Crown series, with Sam Houston Race Park simulcasting the Kentucky Derby on May 2, followed by Preakness Day on May 16 and Belmont Day on June 6.
The facility will be open Wednesday through Sunday for simulcast wagering throughout the meet. Special post times are set for Triple Crown events, with Derby Day beginning at 10:30 a.m., while both Preakness and Belmont Days will feature a 1:00 p.m. first post.
2026 TRIALS & STAKES RACING SCHEDULE
Friday, April 17, 2026
$10,000 Texas Breeders Futurity Trials
Friday, April 24, 2026
$10,000 John Deere Juvenile Trials
$10,000 Q-Racing Video Distance Challenge Trials
$10,000 Adequan Derby Trials
Saturday, May 9, 2026
$75,000g Sam Houston Classic (G2)
$40,000a John Deere Juvenile (G3)
$30,000a Q-Racing Video Distance Challenge (G3)
$40,000a Adequan Derby
$75,000a Texas Breeders Futurity
$50,000a Leon Bard Memorial Stakes
$50,000a John Buchanan Memorial Stakes
Thursday, May 21, 2026
$10,000 Sam Houston Derby Trials
$10,000 Sam Houston Oaks Trials
Saturday, May 23, 2026
$10,000 Sam Houston Futurity Trials
Saturday, June 6, 2026
$40,000a Colors of Houston Futurity (G2)
$20,000a Colors of Texas Paint Maturity (G2)
$15,000 Guaranteed Colors of Houston Juvenile
Saturday, June 13, 2026
$150,000a Sam Houston Futurity (G2)
$50,000a Willie Hickman Memorial Stakes (G2)
$50,000a Jesse Yoakum Memorial 870 Stakes (G3)
$50,000g Governors Cup Marathon (G3)
$100,000a Sam Houston Derby (G3)
$50,000a Sam Houston 550 Stakes (G3)
$50,000a Sam Houston Oaks
$50,000a Miss Sam Houston Stakes
$50,000a Sam Houston 250 Stakes
For more information, please visit SHRP.COM or call 281-807-8700
About Sam Houston Race Park
Sam Houston Race Park is Houston’s premier racing and entertainment facility, located just 15 miles northwest of downtown Houston. Owned by Penn Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ – PENN), the racetrack, which opened in 1994, offers a variety of attractions for businesses, group outings, and families during racing and the off-season. The track is best known for its award-winning dining. It features multiple areas for fans looking for casual to upscale dining options including its Winner’s Circle Restaurant, Jockey Club, Luxury Suites and Pavilion Centre. For more information or tickets to upcoming live racing, concerts, and events, please visit www.shrp.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube.
By Leann Noguera
