Lone Star Overnight Purses Increase for Upcoming Meet

Lone Star Park officials on Feb. 5 announced an increase of nearly 43% to overnight purses for the upcoming Thoroughbred racing season. Overnight race purses this year average $200,000 a day—the richest in a decade—compared to $140,000 in 2019.

"This boost in overnight purses has energized Lone Star Park in a way that we haven't experienced in a lot of years," director of racing Bart Lang said. "This is a very exciting time for the Grand Prairie, Texas, racetrack."

The increase is possible because of funds collected and distributed to the track by the passage of House Bill 2463 last year. The new law, which went into effect Sept. 1, enhances purses at the state's racetracks.

The law will eventually put up to $25 million annually into escrow from a portion of the taxes collected on the sale of horse feed, supplements, bedding, tack, and grooming supplies, plus any other taxable expenditure directly related to riding, boarding, and owning horses. Of the $25 million collected each year, up to $17.5 million will be available to Texas' racetrack operators strictly for purses. The other $7.5 million will be available to official breed registries to enhance their incentive programs. They include the Texas Thoroughbred Association, the Texas Quarter Horse Association, the Texas Arabian Breeders Association, and the Texas Paint Horse Association.

Lone Star Park's Thoroughbred meet opens April 16 and continues through July 19.