(February 21, 2006) - Last weekend was one of the best in the 2005/2006 Thoroughbred meeting for jockey Quincy Hamilton. He piloted the venerable Proven Cure to victory in the opener on Friday, February 17 for trainer John Locke. The 12-year-old sprinter, bred and owned by Dr. William Reed in Kentucky, defies his age each time he steps onto the racetrack. Noted for his turf wins, including the 2005 Sam Houston Turf Sprint, Friday’s victory came at six-furlongs on the main track.

“He’s still at the top of his game; a great horse,” commented Hamilton following the win. “You can match him up against the best and he can outrun most of them. He was a little bit on the muscle in the post parade and was closer to the lead then I normally have him, but always delivers.”

Locke was pleased with the victory and will consult with Dr. Reed to see if Proven Cure will make one more start before defending his title in the $40,000 Sam Houston Turf Sprint on April 8.

“We were looking for a turf sprint, but nothing came up, so we ran him in the six-furlongs on the main track,” said Locke. “It is unusual to see a horse so versatile; the turf horses tend to have an affinity for that surface, but he has competed well on both and won quite a bit of money on the main track.”

Hamilton’s good fortune continued on Saturday night when he picked up the mount aboard Brick Fight for trainer Danny Pish in the $125,000 Jim’s Orbit Stakes. He had never ridden the 3-year-old colt, but knew that he had a win around two turns. His instruction was to keep him close to the lead and his mount responded drawing off for his first stakes win and the first of the meet for Hamilton as well. Dismissed by the betting public, Brick Fight went off at odds of 41-1 and paid $85.40 to win.

This was not the biggest longshot for Hamilton, who made his riding debut at Sam Houston Race Park in 2003, rode Stroganof ($119) to victory as an apprentice in November, 2003.

“I believe it was my fifth winner- Jerry Mayfield was the trainer,” recalled Hamilton. “I told my grandma that I thought she could win. Of course, at the time I was pretty green and didn’t know much. My grandma bet on her. That was the highest paying winner in my career.”

Glen Murphy is Coca-Cola Jockey of the Month

Sam Houston Race Park leading rider, Glen Murphy will be honored this Friday, February 24 as the Coca-Cola Jockey of the Month. Murphy has 53 wins and two stakes victories in the 2005/2006 Sam Houston Thoroughbred meeting.

Texas has been good to the 37-year-old jockey and he won the leading rider at Sam Houston Race Park in 1999/2000. Many of his victories have been for trainer Steve Asmussen including a win aboard Slick City Nites in the Bucharest Stakes. He also piloted Twilight Vision to an exciting win for trainer John Locke in the Tomball Stakes.

“I’ve always had good luck here and Steve has such a strong stable in Houston,” said Murphy. “It is nice to be here for six months and to get some momentum going for Dallas (Lone Star Park).”

February Racing at Sam Houston Race Park

Live racing continues each Thursday through Sunday evening this month. Post time is 7:00 p.m. Thursday - Saturday and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Sam Houston Race Park will continue to offer its patrons free admission for simulcast wagering and $1 beer. The ever-so popular $1 pony beers will also be offered during live racing, and all those visiting the park before gates open for live racing will enjoy the free admission. Admission for live racing will return to just $3 starting Friday, February 3. For more information, visit www.shrp.com or call 281-807-8760.

Jockey, Trainer and Owner Standings

Glen Murphy concluded another successful week at the top of the jockey standings. Now with 53 wins, Murphy also has the highest earnings with $501,342. Larry Taylor is close behind with 50 wins after picking up three winning mounts. Quincy Hamilton also scored three wins over the weekend, including one in the $125,000 Jim’s Orbit Stakes and currently has a total of 46 victories. Filemon Rodriguez made five trips to the winner’s circle last week and now has 45 wins. Rodriguez won the $125,000 Two Altazano with Chit Chat Pam for trainer Bob Young. Justin Shepherd continues to round out the top five jockeys, now with 27 wins.

Danny Pish leads the trainer standings with 34 victories and $447,089 in earnings. One of Pish’s successes came when Brick Fight captured the $125,000 Jim’s Orbit Stakes on Saturday. Steve Asmussen follows very closely in second place with 33 and John Locke has 28 wins in third place. W. Bret Calhoun saddled one winner over the weekend and concluded the week with 27 wins, and Andy Konkoly rounds out the top five with 20 wins.

Jim Bausch continues to lead the owner standings with 11 total wins. Charles Hukill has joined the ranks of the top five owners and currently has eight wins, along with Anjo Racing, Inc., Shrum Racing, Inc. and Richard Bird.

Best Country Singer in Houston Concludes with Success

For the past six weeks, some of the finest talents in Houston have taken the stage at Sam Houston Race Park to compete for the title of the Best Country Singer in Houston.

The adult division was filled with talent and even the unexpected marriage proposal, but when all the votes were tallied, it was Mark Ward of Cypress, Texas who impressed the judges with his rendition of the Brooks and Dunn hit, “Believe”. It was an emotional victory for Ward, 33, who has been singing for over 15 years. The father of three is a document management consultant and has lived in Houston all his life. He was awarded the top prize of $1,000 and a trip to the Academy of Country Music Awards. The trip will include airfare and a two-night’s stay in a hotel for two. Ward will also be a special guest at a performance of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and an opportunity to showcase his vocal talent in the 93Q Barbeque Tent during the cook-off. Heather Holdereith was second and received $250 and Aimee Cutler was third and picked up a check for $100.

In addition to selecting Ward as the top adult performer, they judges had a difficult task of choosing a winner in the junior division, for singers age 9-15. Perhaps without knowing it, the judges gave two young girls and best friends, the thrill of a lifetime. Twelve-year-old Mignon Grabois wowed the crowd of 3,595. The little freckled-face girl with the powerful voice earned $1,000, as the grand-prize winner in the junior division of the contest. The victory was not the first for Grabois, as she also won last year’s Best Pop Singer in Houston Contest. Her longtime best friend Haley Brucker tied with Katelynn Bain for second place. Brucker and Grabois are hoping for a trip to New York to celebrate their success, and seek to fulfill their dreams.

The prizes for both Ward and Grabois also included a professional recording session at R-T Studios.

Sam Houston Race Park Hosts Showvivor Handicapping Contest

Sam Houston Race Park will host the Showvivor Handicapping Contest on Saturday, February 25. The contest will take place during Sam Houston Race Park’s live ten-race card and will invite contestants to handicap each race until a winner has been determined. Each handicapper will select one horse in each of the ten Thoroughbred races to win, place or show. The competition will eliminate each handicapper whose horse does not finish first, second or third. The player who survives all ten races will receive $500.

Gates for live racing will open at 5:30 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. post time. Deadline to register for the Showvivor Handicapping Contest is 7:00 p.m. For a complete set of rules and more details, visit www.shrp.com.

Road to the Kentucky Derby Contest Starts at Sam Houston Race Park

Sam Houston Race Park will host the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” handicapping contest starting Saturday, March 4 and continuing every Saturday through April 22. The eight-week contest will offer $2,000 in cash prizes and is open to all racing fans, 21-years of age or older.

Contestants will make mythical $2 win and place wagers on all of the major prep races leading to the Triple Crown race on June 10.

Registration begins every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. until the official deadline, which will be prior to the post time of the contest race. The winners will be determined by the highest cumulative bankroll from all $2 win and place bets following the Belmont Stakes Saturday, June 10. The contest is not limited to VIP Club members, but the prize money is double for all winning finishers who are members. The winner, if a VIP member will receive $1,000, second place finisher will receive $500, $300 will go the third place contestant and the fourth place participant will be awarded $200. Non-VIP Club members will receive $500 for first place, $250 for second, $150 for third and $100 for fourth.

To become a VIP Club Member, visit the Player’s Lounge in the Grandstand or call 281-807-8760. More information regarding the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” handicapping contest, may also be obtained by calling 281-807-8760, or by visiting www.shrp.com.

Player’s Lounge at Sam Houston Race Park Offers Great Service and Rewards

Reserve a private betting carrel in the Players Lounge each Friday night this month from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. for just $1! Sam Houston Race Park’s Player’s Lounge is a state-of-the-art race book and sports bar, and is an 8,000 square foot complex located in the north end of the Paddock Level of the grandstand. The Player’s Lounge is equipped with 300 televisions and 200 private betting carrels, similar to those found in the sports books in Las Vegas. Patrons who reserve a betting carrel will have a private area, which includes a television and availability of a personal wagering machine. In addition, sports fans will be able to enjoy all major televised sporting events and view minute-to-minute quotes from the New York and NASDAQ exchanges.

After the purchase of ten carrels, patrons will receive a complimentary carrel for a night of their choice. Reservations for a private betting carrel may be made at the Player’s Lounge or by calling 281-807-8760.

Another rewarding program implemented in the Player’s Lounge is the Player’s Pass. The Player’s Pass allows patrons to select one of three great money-saving seating packages. Fans may purchase 100 seats for just $225, 150 seats for $300 or 200 seats for $350. All seating package options include admission to Sam Houston Race Park.

For more information regarding the many services the Player’s Lounge offers, visit the Player’s Lounge located at the north end of the grandstand on the Paddock Level, or call 281-807-8760.

Seafood Platter Served on Thursdays at Sam Houston Race Park

Beginning on Thursday, February 9, Sam Houston Race Park will feature a special Seafood Platter in the Winner’s Circle Restaurant. The sumptuous platter will satisfy all seafood lovers with Fried Catfish, Shrimp and Oysters, French Fries, Hush Puppies and Cole Slaw,set at an affordable price of $12.99.

The Winner’s Circle Restaurant provides an amazing view, as it overlooks the track and is situated so everyone is able to feel as if they had front row seats. Each table has a private monitor and easy access to mutuel tellers for convenient wagering.

In addition, Steak Night continues each Sunday evening in the Winner’s Circle Restaurant. The satisfying steak dinner, also priced at $12.99, and includes a juicy 12 oz. steak, served with a salad and garlic mashed potatoes.

For reservations or more information, call 281-807-8760 or visit www.shrp.com.