The race track hosts two live race meets annually.
Thoroughbred horse racing runs from late January till early March.
American Quarter Horse races are held from the beginning of March through the middle of May. The rest of the year the park is open for simulcast racing around the United States.
The races run the gambit of maiden special weights and claiming to graded stakes and handicaps.
The grading systems of thoroughbreds and quarter horses function in an almost identical manor, with the highest quality competition running in grade ones with the quality descending through the graded races, listed and restricted races, with the lowest rungs running in allowance and claiming races.

Among many others, these are the races Sam Houston Race Park holds each year along with their purses:
Quarter Horse
Open:
$100,000 Sam Houston Futurity (G2) 2YO - 330 Yds
$95,000 B.O.A. TX Challenge Championship (G2) 3 & Up - 440 Yds
$50,000 Sam Houston Classic (G2) 3 & Up - 440 Yds
$35,000 Sam Houston Derby (G3) 3YO - 350 Yds
$35,000 John Deere TX Juvenile Challenge (G3) 2YO - 350 Yds
$35,000 Adequan Texas Derby Challenge 3YO - 400 Yds
$25,000 Sam Houston Juvenile Stakes 2YO - 330 Yds
$25,000 Governor's Cup Marathon 3 & Up - 870 Yds
$20,000 Harris County Stakes 3 & Up - 550 Yds
Filly/Mare:
$20,000 Miss Sam Houston Stakes F/M 3 & Up - 330 Yds
$22,000 Merial Texas Distaff Challenge F/M 3 & Up - 400 Yds
American Paint Horse
$15,000 Colors of Texas Paint Maturity (G2) 3 & Up - 350 Yds
$15,000 Colors of Houston Paint Juvenile 2YO 300 - Yds
Thoroughbred
Open:
$200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3) 4 & Up
$100,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup (L) 4 & Up
$75,000 Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint 4 & Up
$50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup 4 & Up
$50,000 Houston Turf Stakes 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Bucharest Turf Sprint 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Groovy Stakes 3YO
$50,000 Space City Stakes 3YO
$50,000 Richard King Turf Stakes 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes 4 & Up
$50,000 Star of Texas Stakes 4 & Up
$45,000 Texas Heritage Stakes 3YO (T)
$45,000 Jersey Village Stakes 4 & Up (T)
$30,000 Allen's Landing Stakes 3YO
Colt/Gelding:
$75,000 Jim's Orbit Stakes 3YO
Filly/Mare:
$400,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) F/M 4 & Up (inaugurated in 2013)
$75,000 Two Altazano Stakes F 3YO
$50,000 Houston Distaff F/M 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Jersey Lilly Turf Stakes F/M 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 San Jacinto Turf Stakes F/M 4 & Up
$50,000 Bara Lass Stakes F 3YO
$45,000 Tomball Stakes F/M 4 & Up (T)
Discontinued:
$75,000 Martanza Stakes F 3YO
$45,000 Mission Stakes F/M 4 & Up
$45,000 Sam Houston Oaks F 3YO
$45,000 Fort Bend Country Stakes 3YO
$45,000 Spring Stakes 3YO
$25,000 Texans Juvenile Stakes 2YO
$25,000 Buffalo Bayou Stakes 4 & Up
Arabian
Open:
$45,000 Amethyst Jewel (G1) 4 & Up - 7 F
Colt/Gelding:
$30,000 Texas Six Shooter (G2) C/G 4 & Up - 7 F
Filly/Mare:
$38,500 Sheikha Mubarack LWC F/M 4 & Up 7 F
$30,000 Texas Yellow Rose (G2) F/M 4 & Up - 7 F
The race track hosts two live race meets annually. Thoroughbred horse racing runs from late January till early March. American Quarter Horse races are held from the beginning of March through the middle of May. The rest of the year the park is open for simulcast racing around the United States. The races run the gambit of maiden special weights and claiming to graded stakes and handicaps. The grading systems of thoroughbreds and quarter horses function in an almost identical manor, with the highest quality competition running in grade ones with the quality descending through the graded races, listed and restricted races, with the lowest rungs running in allowance and claiming races.
Among many others, these are the races Sam Houston Race Park holds each year along with their purses:
Quarter Horse
Open:
$100,000 Sam Houston Futurity (G2) 2YO - 330 Yds
$95,000 B.O.A. TX Challenge Championship (G2) 3 & Up - 440 Yds
$50,000 Sam Houston Classic (G2) 3 & Up - 440 Yds
$35,000 Sam Houston Derby (G3) 3YO - 350 Yds
$35,000 John Deere TX Juvenile Challenge (G3) 2YO - 350 Yds
$35,000 Adequan Texas Derby Challenge 3YO - 400 Yds
$25,000 Sam Houston Juvenile Stakes 2YO - 330 Yds
$25,000 Governor's Cup Marathon 3 & Up - 870 Yds
$20,000 Harris County Stakes 3 & Up - 550 Yds
Filly/Mare:
$20,000 Miss Sam Houston Stakes F/M 3 & Up - 330 Yds
$22,000 Merial Texas Distaff Challenge F/M 3 & Up - 400 Yds
American Paint Horse
$15,000 Colors of Texas Paint Maturity (G2) 3 & Up - 350 Yds
$15,000 Colors of Houston Paint Juvenile 2YO 300 - Yds
Thoroughbred
Open:
$200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3) 4 & Up
$100,000 MAXXAM Gold Cup (L) 4 & Up
$75,000 Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint 4 & Up
$50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup 4 & Up
$50,000 Houston Turf Stakes 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Bucharest Turf Sprint 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Groovy Stakes 3YO
$50,000 Space City Stakes 3YO
$50,000 Richard King Turf Stakes 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes 4 & Up
$50,000 Star of Texas Stakes 4 & Up
$45,000 Texas Heritage Stakes 3YO (T)
$45,000 Jersey Village Stakes 4 & Up (T)
$30,000 Allen's Landing Stakes 3YO
Colt/Gelding:
$75,000 Jim's Orbit Stakes 3YO
Filly/Mare:
$400,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) F/M 4 & Up (inaugurated in 2013)
$75,000 Two Altazano Stakes F 3YO
$50,000 Houston Distaff F/M 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 Jersey Lilly Turf Stakes F/M 4 & Up (T)
$50,000 San Jacinto Turf Stakes F/M 4 & Up
$50,000 Bara Lass Stakes F 3YO
$45,000 Tomball Stakes F/M 4 & Up (T)
Discontinued:
$75,000 Martanza Stakes F 3YO
$45,000 Mission Stakes F/M 4 & Up
$45,000 Sam Houston Oaks F 3YO
$45,000 Fort Bend Country Stakes 3YO
$45,000 Spring Stakes 3YO
$25,000 Texans Juvenile Stakes 2YO
$25,000 Buffalo Bayou Stakes 4 & Up
Arabian
Open:
$45,000 Amethyst Jewel (G1) 4 & Up - 7 F
Colt/Gelding:
$30,000 Texas Six Shooter (G2) C/G 4 & Up - 7 F
Filly/Mare:
$38,500 Sheikha Mubarack LWC F/M 4 & Up 7 F
$30,000 Texas Yellow Rose (G2) F/M 4 & Up - 7 F
Sam Houston Race Park