Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Low takeout holds big appeal
The major stakes across the country Saturday may end about 6:15 p.m. Eastern, after graded races such as the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream, but the day will remain far from over. Down in Texas at Sam Houston, six statebred stakes are on the evening plate, some offering betting appeal, especially considering the track’s low takeout rate.
For those unfamiliar with Sam Houston, its multirace exotic bets are some of the least taxed in the industry. Everything from rolling daily doubles to pick threes, pick fours, and a pick five have just a 12 percent takeout, as do some more gimmicky wagers, such as the Space City Pick 6, a wager similar to Gulfstream’s Rainbow 6. This kind of takeout pricing too often goes unnoticed.
The racing product itself at Sam Houston does not compare to the elite winter tracks on a day-to-day basis. Short fields are common, and often the list of contenders in a given race is thin, limiting options. This is evident Saturday night, even with six stakes on the program. Still, the opportunity to play a low-takeout multirace gimmick wager offsets this to a degree, giving bettors a chance at a reasonable return.
Here is a look at three of those stakes, noting the horses I plan to focus on in pick threes and pick fours.
Race 4, Spirit of Texas
Supermason is favored at even money in this six-furlong sprint, and his race record indicates why. He has won 13 of 35 races and $408,125, the highest earnings of any starter. But he also has not raced since July, and though his new trainer, Joe Sharp, is dangerous off long layoffs, the time off could place this horse at a disadvantage. Furthermore, Supermason is just 1 for 6 on the Sam Houston main track, including a loss in the slop in this race last year.
My preference is Direct Dial, who already has a start over the track at this meet, having finished third in a minor open stakes race Jan. 27. He has been most effective against Texasbreds, including when he won the Jim’s Orbit over the Sam Houston surface last March. He is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
A lesser threat is Galactica, another Sharp trainee who could be overshadowed by Supermason.
Race 5, Bara Lass
An abundance of speed in this field leads me to go with an off-the-pace runner – Miss Perfecta. A 4-1 shot on the morning line, she might be overlooked to some extent, having gone unplaced in her last two starts.
Those defeats are easily forgivable. One came in a stakes race, the Trapeze at Remington, where she finished fifth while routing, and the other was at Oaklawn on Feb. 21, when she ran seventh of eight in the mud while equipped with blinkers for the first time. Those blinkers come off Saturday, and the weather forecast suggests a good chance for a fast track.
Other threats include Ima Discreet Lady and Golden Lullabye, but those two, as well as longshot Know What I Mina, seem to have similar front-running styles. If they duel, that could set the race up for Miss Perfecta, who typically comes from a length or two off the pace.
Race 7, Richard King
The last of the card’s stakes looks to be a matchup between Highway Song and Bonjour Baby, who have traded decisions in a pair of meetings this winter.
This time around, the makeup of the race could benefit Bonjour Baby. Unlike the deep-closing Highway Song, he has a degree of positional speed, a key in a turf race that figures to unfold with a moderate or slow tempo. Under this scenario, Bonjour Baby figures to get the jump on Highway Song.
The 1 1/8-mile distance does add an element of uncertainty. None of the seven entrants has any experience over the trip on grass, though Mav Master did win last year’s Richard King when it was moved to a sloppy main track.
The Richard King comes one race after Mr Money Bags seemingly offers a “free square” in multirace wagers as a standout in race 6, the Groovy.