PLAYING THE PONIES
Sam Houston Race Park selections for Wednesday, March 17
Mar 18, 2020, 6:45 am
Bigger Picture won Sunday's Connally Turf Cup. Coady photography
Here are my selections for Wednesday 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
6-1-7-3
GOLIATH RIDGE keeps getting closer and might finally break through
SECOND
2-6-1-5
LEMON ROSES should thrive with added distance and offers good value
THIRD
1-7-4-2
GAME SET AND MATCH has been OK in last two vs. better
FOURTH
8-7-2-3
BRENDA'S AN I FULL should be tough if race stays on turf
FIFTH
2-9-10-8
JUDY'S PRIZE was in tough in last and could pop at a price
SIXTH
6-1-3-4
KATE'S SECOND SILVER should be competitive in this spot
SEVENTH
3-9-11-10
MILLI STAR could offer some nice value; should do well at this distance
EIGHTH
7-6-8-1
MISS FUNNY GUN plunges in class and that should do the trick
NINTH
3-7-5-4
BANDY'S MAP gets in for a tag and should improve here
TENTH
4-6-7-3
BLACKROCK CASTLE could thrive with the surface switch and stretch out
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Astros carved up 2 of the NL’s best, but that’s just part of the story
Jun 30, 2025, 4:53 pm
The Houston Astros announced on Monday that additional imaging has revealed that Jeremy Peña is dealing with a small fracture in one of his ribs.
Peña left Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs. The club originally believed they had avoided any fractures or breaks, but new information has informed them otherwise.
Update on Jeremy Peña: pic.twitter.com/jfCsCUKWFx
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2025
Peña is heading to the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 28. This news comes at an unfortunate time, with Jeremy posting the best regular season numbers of his career. He's currently slashing .322, .378, .489 with an .867 OPS.
Peña will miss the Rockies and Dodgers series at a minimum.
Story on Peña headed to the IL with quotes from Dana Brown.
“This isn’t one of those things where you have to be sidelined the whole time. Once the inflammation goes down, he might feel good enough to swing a bat.” https://t.co/ih2G09Jpcf
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 30, 2025
Let's hope the team doesn't rush him back too soon and create an even bigger problem. These quotes above from Dana Brown have me concerned. Playing through injuries can create bad habits, and Jeremy has clearly found his swing this season.