The Texas Thoroughbred Association (TTA) will implement a number of changes to racing in Texas for 2026 and beyond, according to a release sent by the organization Wednesday.
Dates and locations for the TTA Futurity, Derby, and Oaks will be adjusted, with the Futurity moved from July at Lone Star Park to December at Sam Houston Race Park in order to give 2-year-olds more time to develop. The Derby and Oaks, run at Sam Houston in March in 2025, will again be run in the spring at Sam Houston for 2026, but will move to Lone Star for 2027.
“The Texas Thoroughbred Association is very excited about these changes” said TTA Executive Director Tracy Sheffield. “We feel that these changes will make several of our most exciting stakes races accessible to a greater number of horses.”
In addition, the Texas Stallion Stakes Series will now allow 2-year-olds to be nominated if connections missed nominating during the runner's weanling or yearling years. A horse that has gone through a TTA sale can now be nominated as a 2-year-old by May 1 for a $5,000 fee.
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