PLAYING THE PONIES
Sam Houston Race Park selections for Sunday, Jan. 26
Jan 26, 2020, 6:50 am
Bigger Picture won Sunday's Connally Turf Cup. Coady photography
Here are my selections for Sunday at Sam Houston Race Park for the special racing festival card. There will not be a better racing card in America today. There are several terrific races and high quality animals. It is a day you should enjoy. These selections 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
1-5-4-6
EMPIRE OF GOLD chased a nice runner in last and should be in the mix
SECOND
5-3-8-10
GRAY HOPE has some nice efforts over the turf course
THIRD
2-9-4-5
BOLD LEGEND has a pair of sharp efforts coming in and looks tough
FOURTH
1-3-7-5
THREE DEE FLAG has faced top company and should bounce back
FIFTH
4-1-11-10
FAST BOAT has two sharp efforts over difficult courses
SIXTH
6-5-4-1
MR MONEY BAGS is in good form and loves this surface
SEVENTH
4-7-1-11
BILLY BATS rates a slim edge in a wide open, talented group
EIGHTH
5-4-1-6
MYLADY CURLIN is a win machine but this is a tough group
NINTH
12-10-2-7
BEMMA'S BOY should be a nice price for a trainer who owns this race
TENTH
2-11-6-5
WINNING ENVELOPE caught yielding turf last two; should be better on a good track
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Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.
Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.
Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.
Takeaways
Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.
Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.
Key moment
With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.
Key stat
Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.
Up next
The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.