How to bet Sam Houston's mandatory-payout $1,469 Super High 5 carryover

The winter race meet at Sam Houston concludes on Saturday with a mandatory payout in the Houston Hi-5.

This 20-cent Super High 5 is normally a jackpot-style wager paying out the carryover only in the event a unique winning ticket is sold. But an exception will be made for Saturday’s 11th race (post time 11:46 p.m. ET), a one-mile maiden special weight serving as the final race of the meet.

As of Friday night, the Houston Hi-5 carryover stands at $1,469. There will be one more opportunity to catch a jackpot payout in Saturday’s fourth race (post time 8:12 p.m.), but assuming no one constructs a unique winning ticket, an even larger carryover will roll over for mandatory payout in the 11th race.

Speaking of the 11th race, an analysis of the field reveals the morning line favorites are formidable. For starters, there’s #10 Blurt (5-2), a four-year-old son of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Street Sense. Formerly based in New York, Blurt showed promise in his first start over the Sam Houston main track last month. After settling behind a very slow pace, Blurt rallied to finish second by a length, earning a respectable 72 Brisnet Speed rating.

Blurt hails from the barn of hot trainer Bret Calhoun (a 23% winner at Sam Houston) and will be ridden by jockey Jose Alvarez, a 27% winner teaming up with Calhoun over the last two months. Throw in the fact outside posts have been advantageous racing one mile over the Sam Houston main track this meet, and Blurt offers a lot of appeal.

But Blurt isn’t the only outside-drawn runner with a strong win chance. #8 Tiz Life (3-1) has actually run faster on the Brisnet Speed rating scale. His last three dirt runs (all over one mile) have produced improving Brisnet Speed ratings of 74, 78, and 82. The latter figure came in a Feb. 18 maiden special weight at Sam Houston, in which Tiz Life finished second by one length after vying for command down the homestretch.

Who are the other logical contenders? #6 Suez (9-2) showed pacesetting speed when finishing third in a $30,000 maiden claimer racing 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park and can’t be overlooked for the hot jockey/trainer duo of Floyd Wethey and Scott Young (31% winners together over the last two months). #2 Magazine Street (4-1) couldn’t quite keep pace with Blurt when finishing fifth in a March 19 maiden special weight over this track and distance, but the chestnut gelding is fast enough to finish in the top five.

One longshot worth supporting is #5 Golden Flash (15-1). The Bret Calhoun trainee has shown tactical speed in all three of his starts and is eligible to improve while stretching out in distance for his first run as a gelding.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Houston Hi-5:

• 20-cent Super High 5: 8,10 with 8,10 with 2,5,6 with 2,5,6 with ALL ($14.40)
• 20-cent Super High 5: 8,10 with 8,10 with 2,5,6 with ALL with 2,5,6 ($14.40)
  Total: $28.80

Good luck!