The Texas Racing Commission on Tuesday will consider race date applications for 2021 and changes are possible to the state's traditional racing calendar. According to documents in the agenda package, Retama Park is not applying for Thoroughbred dates for 2021 and discussions are "ongoing" to move Thoroughbred purse funds from the San Antonio-area meet to Sam Houston Race Park in Houston and Lone Star Park near Dallas. 

Sam Houston's original Thoroughbred application is for a 39-date meet, but in a letter an official said the track could expand to a 46-date meet to pick up seven of the lost days at Retama. The meet would have an earlier start than usual, on Jan. 8, and run later, through April 3. The original application calls for Thursday though Saturday racing most weeks, with a special Sunday card on Jan. 31. If the meet moves to 46 dates, Sam Houston would add Wednesday racing starting Feb. 10. Sam Houston also has requested a 23-date meet for Quarter Horses running from April 23-June 12.  

Lone Star Park's original Thoroughbred application is for a 42-date meet from April 16-July 18. The track also has requested 27 dates of Quarter Horse racing from Sept. 10-Nov. 27. 

Retama Park has asked for a Quarter Horse meet from June 24-Aug. 7. The track ran a single meet this year, for Quarter Horses, in a change that came about during race date discussions in the early stages of the pandemic. Lone Star Park picked up some of the lost Thoroughbred dates during its meet that extended into August.