PLAYING THE PONIES
Sam Houston Race Park selections for Saturday, March 14
Mar 14, 2020, 6:50 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
3-7-4-5
FINAL EXAM facd tough company in last; priors make him competitive
SECOND
3-1-5-6
NACOGDOCHES has been a money burner but might have found the right spot
THIRD
4-8-6-3
UNCORKED HUMOR should thrive at this distance
FOURTH
3-7-6-4
LOVELY LADY might wake up with the big drop in class
FIFTH
3-2-6-5
EMPRESSIVE REWARD has solid connections and some decent efforts
SIXTH
3-2-8-4
RANCHO BARGO might have found a good spot for a breakthrough
SEVENTH
3-7-6-1
GEOSCIENCE has flashed speed in both starts and should be in the mix
EIGHTH
8-5-2-7
CAIRO KING heads a pair of Asmussen runners that could win this
NINTH
2-3-6-5
WHISKEY FACTOR has nice works over the track and some decent efforts in his three starts
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Zack Short hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning after Christian Walker tied it with a sacrifice fly and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night.
Short hit a 1-1 pitch to right field off Hoby Milner after Robert Garcia (1-5) walked two to load the bases.
Texas took a 4-3 lead when Adolis García hit the first pitch from Bennett Sousa (3-0) for a single — scoring automatic runner Marcus Semien.
Kyle Higashioka hit a solo home run off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to tie it 3-3. It was the first blown save for Hader after 25 straight to begin the season.
Jose Altuve hit his 17th homer — a two-out solo shot in the first off Jacob deGrom to tie it 1-1 after the Rangers scored an unearned run on Framber Valdez’s wild pitch.
Yainer Diaz homered for the 14th time for a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Mauricio Dubón hit his sixth homer off Jacob Webb for a 3-1 lead in the seventh.
Semien hit his 11th homer to cut it to 3-2 in the eighth.
Valdez allowed an unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The Astros have won his last 12 starts with him getting the win in nine of them.
DeGrom allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings with eight strikeouts.
The Rangers struck out 19 times — two short of the club record for an extra-inning game.
Key moment
Short entered as a pinch runner in the ninth and was just 4 for 17 before his game winner.
Key stat
Houston hasn’t lost a season series with division rival Texas since 2016.
Up next
Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 1.62 ERA) starts Sunday’s rubber game opposite Astros RHP Hunter Brown (9-3, 2.21).
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