PLAYING THE PONIES
Sam Houston Race Park selections for Friday, Feb. 14
Feb 14, 2020, 6:45 am
Bigger Picture. Coady photography
Here are my selections for Friday night at Sam Houston Race Park. These are not meant to be in exact order, but merely the four horses I think have the best chance to win. For beginners, I suggest exacta boxes with three horses, using two of mine and one of your own. And you can always pick up a copy of Acing Racing 2016 to learn everything you need to know. (These are the picks and format that are available on the free tip sheet at SHRP).
FIRST
5-4-3-8
IZA DADDY has been super consistent and should contend here
SECOND
7-8-4-2
D'ROCKETMAN has a win over the local surface and some nice tries at Remington
THIRD
4-9-1-5
STORMY DEPENCIER struggled in last but barn usually has them ready
FOURTH
8-7-2-1
INSURRECTION ran into trouble in last but prior start puts him in the mix
FIFTH
8-4-3-1
HEADLINING showed some life in Kentucky in last start and could get it done here
SIXTH
4-1-10-7
WHENTHEPENNYDROPS could be a nice fit in this spot
SEVENTH
9-2-7-5
TRUE CONFESSION has been off since July but faced tough runners
EIGHTH
7-8-3-5
YOUNG PHILLIP has been close against some very talented fiels
NINTH
2-10-8-1
BELLE STRIKE should improve with the stretch-out, surface change and second start
TENTH
4-10-9-7
CONTENDRESS showed some life in last and might be coming around
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Emanuel Sharpe scored 26 points, LJ Cryer had 20 and second-ranked Houston stifled No. 17 BYU in a 74-54 victory Friday night that moved the Cougars into the Big 12 Tournament championship game for the second consecutive season.
Milos Uzan added 14 points and Mylik Wilson pulled down 13 rebounds, helping the tournament's top seed jump to a big early lead and roll into Saturday night's matchup with Arizona on a 12-game win streak.
Houston (29-4) played without J'Wan Roberts, its leading rebounder, after he sprained his ankle early in the second half of the Cougars' quarterfinal win over Colorado. Roberts watched from the bench with his right foot in a walking boot.
He got to watch quite a defensive show by one of the nation's best.
Houston forced BYU to miss its first nine shots, including seven from beyond the arc, where coach Kevin Young's team had set a Big 12 Tournament record with 18 made 3s on its way to 96 points in a quarterfinal win over Iowa State. That nearly seven-minute lull allowed Houston to roar to a 15-0 lead that it spent the rest of the game protecting.
BYU trimmed its 40-21 halftime deficit to 13 midway through the second half but never threatened to come all the way back.
Keba Keita had 14 points and 12 rebounds for BYU. Dawson Baker scored 11 points and Richie Saunders had 10.
Takeaways
BYU still has not won a conference tournament title since 2001 in the Mountain West.
Houston lived up to its billing as the nation's No. 1 team in defensive efficiency.
Key moment
Sharpe converted a four-point play with 13:40 left in the first half to give Houston its 15-0 lead.
Key stat
Houston has beaten BYU by an average of 25.5 points in their two games this season.
Up next
Houston will play the Wildcats for the Big 12 title.