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
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.