Falcon Points
Sam Houston Race Park is primed for one of its best years yet when live racing returns on Friday
Jan 8, 2020, 8:21 am
Courtesy photo
Live racing will return to Sam Houston Race Park this Friday night, and the 26th season of racing could be one of the best yet. The thoroughbred meet kicks off with a 10-race card filled with more purse money, solid sized fields and better quality racing than we have seen in past years.
Thanks to the state Legislature actually helping the industry by earmarking $25 million annually for purse money throughout the state this year, 2020 has a chance to be the best quality of racing since the track's dynamic opening season in 1994.
Trying to compete
Purse money is simply the dollars paid out to the jockeys, owners and trainers. The more money, the better quality of racing. The better racing, the more people will bet. The more people bet, the more money goes into purses. It's the circle of horse racing life.
Sam Houston and the other Texas tracks have had trouble competing for horses with neighboring states. Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas are supplement their tracks with additional forms of gaming, mostly casinos, where most of the money is being bet by Texans. So the purse boost will help level the playing field.
Big races
Sam Houston has done a terrific job of staying relevant by going to shorter race meets, and building up purses through simulcasting the rest of the year. The thoroughbred meet will have 39 days and run through March 28. The quarter horses start shortly thereafter and run through May. The higher purses should bring better horses in both breeds, and bring more national attention to the track.
The biggest race day will be a special Sunday card on Jan. 26, with over a million dollars paid out in purse money, headed up by the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic, which has become an early season national staple for fillies and mares.
That same day, the track will host a qualifier for the NTRA Handicapping Championship. The event will award two spots to the championship in Las Vegas, with an option for 2020 or 2021. It will be a $1,000 live bankroll tournament.
Most weeks races will be held on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Post times are noon Wednesday, 6:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. In March, the track will add three Tuesday cards as well. When the quarter horses start on April 13, they will run on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays
The most important thing...
Let's face it, as much fun as the races are to watch, gambling on them is what makes the world go round.
Betting on the ponies is one of the most fun ways to gamble. As in the past, the track will provide free tip sheets, and SportsMap will also provide free picks.
Sam Houston's racing surfaces are two of the safest and most fair in the country. Thoroughbred races are held on both dirt and turf, although weather sometimes forces races off the turf course. The track will run rain or shine, unless the weather is deemed dangerous. In the past, when the main track is listed as sloppy, horses on or near the early lead tend to fare very well.
Also, the Blitz will be broadcasting live several times throughout the meet, including opening night.
Fun ways to gamble
If you have never bet on the ponies, there are multiple wagers available in each race. Most are designed to bet a little to win a lot. If you want to learn how to gamble on the horses, the audio book Acing Racing 2016 is the perfect place to start. If you are a poker or sports gambler, the book explains things in ways you will easily understand.
In addition to live racing, Sam Houston has simulcasting from tracks so you can bet places from all over the world. However, there is nothing like live racing. It is a good family night out, and if you go, make sure you watch at least one race from the rail outside to get a feel for the power and majesty of the animals. There will be also some of the regular attractions if you aren't into the racing - .50 beer nights on Fridays, camel and ostrich racing, and more entertainment.
If you have never been, make it a point to check it out at least once this meet. You will be entertained.
Sam Houston Race Park is located at 7575 North Sam Houston Parkway West. For more information, check out shrp.com.
Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela doubled twice with two RBIs and fellow rookie David Hamilton added a solo homer in the ninth inning to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
Rafaela’s first double off Justin Verlander (3-3) gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the second inning. He drove in another run with a double with two outs in the seventh.
Hamilton’s home run to right field off Seth Martinez made it 4-1 with two outs in the ninth.
The Red Sox, who were swept by the AL West-leading Astros at home earlier this month, won this series after getting a 6-5 victory Tuesday night.
Alex Bregman hit his first career leadoff home run in his return to the lineup after missing five games with a swollen right elbow. But the Astros struggled at the plate the rest of the day, going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position after finishing 0 for 8 Tuesday.
Bregman was batting first for just the third time this season with Jose Altuve getting a rare day off.
Verlander allowed four hits and two runs with six strikeouts in five innings in his first start since June 9. The 41-year-old, who was out with stiffness in his neck, threw 76 pitches after tossing 57 in his second rehabilitation start Thursday.
Red Sox starter Cooper Criswell permitted four hits and a run in 4 2/3 innings. Josh Winckowski (4-1) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win and Chris Martin struck out one in the ninth for his first save.
The Astros had a chance to take the lead in the seventh. Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubón hit back-to-back singles with no outs in the bottom of the seventh and they both moved up a base on a wild pitch by Greg Weissert.
Pinch-hitter Jon Singleton struck out before pinch-hitter Trey Cabbage walked to load the bases. Bregman was retired on a foul ball Wilyer Abreu caught in foul territory before Weissert was replaced by Brennan Bernardino.
He struck out Yordan Alvarez on an outside pitch to end the threat and cause a frustrated Alvarez to toss his bat.
Jarren Duran, who went 4 for 4 Tuesday night, led off with a double before scoring on a one-out single by Triston Casas to put the Red Sox up early.
Connor Wong was on first with two outs in the second when Rafaela doubled off the wall in left field to put Boston back on top 2-1.
Masataka Yoshida singled to start the seventh and stole second base with one out. There were two outs in the inning when Rafaela doubled on a line drive to the corner of left field to score Yoshida and make it 3-1.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: Martinez was sent to Triple-A Sugar Land after Tuesday night’s game to make room for Verlander on the roster. But he was recalled before Wednesday’s game after RHP Kaleb Ort was placed on the paternity list.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Boston is off Thursday and hasn’t released its rotation for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks that starts Friday night.
Astros: Houston hasn’t announced its rotation for a four-game series that starts Thursday night in Baltimore.