Watch colorful Paint Horses thunder down the track at APHA’s Family Night at the Races at Lone Star Park

PDF download (6.42mb)

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Does the thought of watching colorful Paint Horses thunder down the racetrack while spending quality time with your family excite you? If so, you won’t want to miss out on the American Paint Horse Association’s first Family Night at the Races event on Saturday, November 10 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The evening event, sponsored by Paint Racing News in conjunction with Lone Star Park, will be a hit for all. Lone Star Park will be hosting the trials for the Lone Star Paint and Appaloosa Futurity, and APHA is joining in the fun. While Paint racing itself is a thrill, APHA’s official mascot Paint Horse Pete will be on-hand to entertain and educate families on the exciting sport of Paint racing. All children will receive coloring sheets, Paint Horse tattoos, educational material and more goodies from APHA.

The gates at Lone Star Park open at 5:30 p.m. and the first race kicks off at 6:35 p.m. Head to the park early because the first 100 attendees to visit the APHA booth will receive a Paint racing souvenir to remind you of your special visit to the track. Ticket prices start at $3, and children three years old and younger will be admitted free.

Lone Star Park is located at 1000 Lone Star Parkway in Grand Prairie. To reach Lone Star Park, take the Belt Line Road exit (exit 34) off I-30, head North on Belt Line Road about a ½ mile and turn right onto Lone Star Parkway.

To find out more about Family Night at the Races, visit the APHA Web site at apha.com/community/familyraces or call APHA at (817) 834-2742.

More about Paint Horse racing
Horse racing has long been one of America’s favorite spectator sports. With the recent growth of the Paint Horse breed, it’s no wonder that Paints have become one of the hottest tickets in the horse racing industry.

Since 1966, when APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made major strides forward. In that inaugural year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in just two states—Texas and Oklahoma. Last year, more than 600 starters competed in more than 800 APHA-recognized races for record purses totaling more than $5.3 million.

A total of 18 states now feature Paint racing, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Paint Horses also race in Canada.

“The future is really bright for Paint racing,” said Lex Smurthwaite, APHA’s executive director. “Owners from other racing breeds are getting involved with Paints because of the strong and steady growth of our program. It is still relatively easy to get involved and be competitive.”