Playing the Ponies

Sam Houston Race Park selections for Saturday, March 2 with bonus play on the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream

Horses leave the gate at Sam Houston Race Park
Courtesy photo

Here are my selections for Saturday. 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). I included a play on the big Kentucky Derby prep this weekend, the Fountain of Youth.

Fountain of Youth bonus play

There will be a heavy favorite in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream in No. 7 Hidden Scroll. But he only has one dominant race under his belt. He could crush this group, but he could also miss the board. So we will take a flyer on No. 4 Bourbon War. We will key him first and second in the trifectas with six other horses. That will be $60 total for a buck, $30 if you play it for .50. Here is the play: 4 with 1-5-6-7-8-9 with 1-5-6-7-8-9 and 1-5-6-7-8-9 with 4 with 1-5-6-7-8-9.

Sam Houston selections

FIRST
7-6-1-2
TEXAS STYLE CS
Should improve with drop from stakes company


SECOND
3-2-6-8
COUNTRY KING finds a soft spot and should be tough here


THIRD
5-1-7-9
HIGHWAY SONG
Crushed most of these in last and would need to regress not to do it again


FOURTH

3-7-6-5
ARCH VALUE bounced in last but should fare better here


FIFTH
5-1-9-2
REAL DE JAPA
Should improve with a start over the surface; price is square


SIXTH

2-1-4-3
IRISH CITY LAD
Just nudged the second choice in last; should come down to these two again


SEVENTH
6-1-4-2
FLYING MAGIC SONG
Has been very OK on grass recently, not so good off it. Contender if race stays on turf


EIGHTH

2-3-7-5
MISCHIEF GALORE is one of two Asmussen contenders in this one


NINTH

8-7-2-5
WILLTHERESAWAY might have needed last and could surprise

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Welcome to Houston, Nick! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.

The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.

For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.

“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”

As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.

Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.

He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.

Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.

It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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