Racetrack Diaries
Sam Houston January 2004
I watched Sam Houston quite a bit on the tv screen when I was working at Garden
State Park and always though they had one of the best turf courses ever. Well,
when I knew I was going to the Super Bowl in Houston, Texas I knew that I wanted
to go to the track and I ended up going 3 times ha ha. On Friday I even got to
present an award in the winner's circle with jockey Gary Steven's which was
really cool. On Saturday I decided to file this report of my night at the track.
The track itself is a one mile dirt course with a beautiful turf course to it.
The track has about 3 levels and I had a nice dinner as well. The grandstand
area is quite big with lots of tvs and they take a bunch of different tracks as
well as some dog tracks too. I get to the track like 10 minutes before the 1st
race and it is 1 mile and 1/16 on the dirt with a claiming price of $5,000. I
decide to play a $1 exacta with the 6 on top with the 5 horse and the 3 horse
behind it. I also throw a $3 win ticket on the 6 as well. The #6 holds off a
late charge by the #3 and I have a win ticket as well as the exacta and I'm
loving this track already. After the 1st race I got my picture taken with jockey
Cathleen Garner which was very cool. Race #2 is a maiden claiming race with a
purse of $10,000 going 5 1/2 furlongs. I bet $5 on the #4 and #8 he stumbles at
the gate and ends up coming off the pace and wins with jockey Quincy Hamilton
and I lose. Shame I didn't have the superfecta as it paid $19,701.60. Race #3 is
an allowance race with a purse of $13,900 with 9 horses going 1 mile. I play a
$5 on the #4 who was 2nd in a $125,000 stake race at this same track back in
November with the jockey losing the whip. My horse was nowhere to be found and
the #2 horse who I also had in the exacta is still running. The superfecta was
$7,860.60. Another biggie.
Race #4 has 11 horses going 6 1/2 furlongs with a purse of $5,300.00 I play a $3
exacta straight 7-3 and of course it comes out 3-7 and I don't collect. Race #5
is a 7 furlong race and a full field of 12 going 7 furlongs. I put $3 to win on
the #4 horse with leading jockey Jeremy Beasley. My horse finishes 3rd and I
lose and #2 horse wins. I do get another picture taken, this time with
apprentice jockey Amanda Crandall. Race #6 is on the beautiful turf course and
with 8 horses going 1 1/16 mile. I decide to go and try and play a trifecta and
I play a few different combos and I have in one of them, the #5 with a 2-3
behind him, and the #3 comes off the pace and edges the #5 and I lose. Great
ride on the #3 by jockey Terry Stanton. Race #7 is a mile and 70 yards on the
dirt with a purse of $7,500. Full field of 11. I decide to use leading jockey
Jeremey Beasley again on top with the #8 horse and the #7 behind him. I wasn't
even close as the #3 horse and 3 longshots finished behind him and the
superfecta payed an incredible $30,376.40. This track is know for some huge
superfecta payoffs to say the least.
Race #8 was a $30,000 stake race for 3 year olds going 6 furlongs. Field of 7.
Played a $5 exacta straight with a Delta Downs shipper on top with jockey Eddie
Martin coming in to ride and backed him up with the #2 horse and Donald
Simington. My horse won easily, but the #4 was out of the money and I was out an
exacta payoff ha ha. Race #9 was 1 mile and 1/16 on the turf for a claiming
price of $25,000 with a purse of $8,300. Full field of 10. This was my last race
so I headed off to the gift shop picked up a shirt and then played a $8 exacta
straight 6 with the #3 and also played a $1 superfecta 6/3/2/5. Well, the #3
horse won and I lost ha ha. I had a great time while I was here and I also saw
an incredible Super Bowl and if you want to try and hit a big payoff try playing
a superfecta here. See ya in the winner's circle next time.