Sam Houston keeps racing festival on stakes schedule

Sam Houston Park's Houston Racing Festival will be held on Jan. 28. The festival was on the brink of being canceled for 2023. Texas Racing Commission withdrew from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Last year, Sam Houston set a track record when $5.3 million was handled on its stakes program. The new state legislature created a percentage of sales tax generated by the sale of horse-related items in the state. It is funded by a state escrow account. This account receives up to $25 million each year. A maximum of 70 percent of that can go toward purses, with the remainder earmarked for promoting the horse industry.