Wednesday wagers: How to play rescheduled Sam Houston card
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Handicappers breathed a sigh of relief when all their time spent dissecting last Thursday’s card wasn’t a wasted effort.
Yes, Sam Houston Race Park called it off because of bad weather, but the Houston track thankfully chose to reschedule the entire card to Wednesday night without redrawing.
Last week Andy Villanueva of geeohayeteehandicapping.com chimed in with his thoughts on the card as well. With all the information available and low 12 percent takeout, there’s no reason not to get involved.
Into Wednesday night’s action, the free Power Picks bolster confidence in several selections.
In race 2, the top two horses are No. 9 Dobbins G (6-1 morning line) and No. 4 Close to Midnight (5-2). Dobbins G is likely to show speed from the outside, although there is other speed signed on. Close to Midnight ran second last time out closing into a slow pace and does make the most sense based on Beyer Speed Figures from Daily Racing Form.
In race 4, Villanueva had some interest in top Power Pick No. 4 Telling Thyme (6-1).
In race 5, Power Picks also agree the top choice is No. 2 Gold N Silver (3-1), who showed an impressive closing kick on debut after missing the break.
The Hot Jockey Report revealed interesting discrepancies between riders on the turf vs. the dirt. Two jockeys with the highest rated HRN Impact Number on the turf are the same two jockeys with two of the lowest scores on the dirt.
Carlos Diaz is performing at a plus-211 percent impact on the grass. That number is minus-100 percent on the dirt as he is 0-for-11. Eduardo Perez has a plus-155 percent impact on turf, yet he is 0-for-12 on the dirt resulting in a minus-100 percent impact rating.
Top jockeys on the dirt based on impact include Iram Vargas Diego (plus-171 percent), Jansen Melancon (plus-111 percent), and Leandro Goncalves (plus-65 percent).
The First Timers Report is useful particularly in race 5, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs. Four of the 10 entered are first-time starters, and two others are second-time starters. No. 3 Overtaxed (12-1) is by Fed Biz, a sire with a plus-27 percent impact score for debut runners. No. 4 Izeondec (15-1) is a second-time starter that has both a sire and trainer in the green, as Cairo Prince has an impact score of plus-18 percent, and Dallas E. Keen rates plus-24 percent. No. 6 Thunder Road (8-1) might be one to avoid, as his sire Tu Brutus has yet to produce any winning progeny on debut.
Listen to the rest of Villanueva's thoughts here.
Horse Racing Nation continues to offer the e-book Secrets to Win at Sam Houston and free Power Picks throughout the meet. The livestream handicapping continues Thursday at 6 p.m. EST.
Read More
Wolfie's Dynaghost , a 7-year-old homebred gelding for Woodslane Farm, led all the way under Luis Saez to...
Fully Subscribed showed her class in her stakes debut when she entered the stretch with a group of...
Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Disco Time was ultra-impressive when improving his record to 5-for-5 in Saturday’s $200,000 Dwyer , a...
Highplainsdrifter led all performers with a 136 Horse Racing Nation speed figure at Del Mar, winning a $50,000...
Ragtime, the Grade 3 Dogwood winner who most recently placed third in the Raven Run (G2), breezed four...