PLAYING THE PONIES
Sam Houston Race Park selections for Saturday, Feb. 1
Feb 1, 2020, 6:07 am
Coady Photography
Here are my selections for Saturday 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
7-3-1-9
HIGH MAINTENANCE just missed in debut, gets Lasix and more distance. Looks tough
SECOND
5-3-4-6
JAGER ON THE ROCKS ships in from California and should be in the mix
THIRD
6-3-2-1
HERBS LOVE switches barns but should still be very tough
FOURTH
4-1-3-6
MY AUNT MIMS won for fun at this distance and could do it again
FIFTH
1-9-2-6
EXCITING has been close in tough heats at Remington Park
SIXTH
2-7-8-5
SHAWN AGAIN occasionally flashes speed and catches a struggling group
SEVENTH
3-9-7-8
FIANCEE looks very tough in this spot at a short price
EIGHTH
5-2-4-1
NOCTURNAL MISSION is improving and has faced tough runners
NINTH
3-4-8-5
FIGHT ON PENN has not shown much of late but might have found the right spot
TENTH
5-3-6-8
EMPRESSIVE REWARD is always close and might finally break through
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The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!