Sam Houston: Betting the all-stakes Pick 4 on Jan. 31

The final day of January brings an action-packed evening of stakes races at Sam Houston Race Park.

The 10-race Sunday card contains half a dozen stakes, arranged consecutively for the enjoyment of multi-race bettors. The late Pick 4 is shaping up to be a particularly enticing sequence, so let’s put together a couple tickets on a $36 budget.

Race 7: Texas Turf Mile (1 mile on turf, 6 p.m. ET)

#5 Fighting Force (3-1) hasn’t missed the exacta in three turf starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Sold for $400,000 as a 2-year-old, the son of Air Force Blue has tactical speed and recently finished second in a quality renewal of the 1-mile Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream Park, where he was beaten only by the promising speedster Kentucky Pharoah.

Fighting Force is training forwardly and will add Lasix for his second stakes attempt. We’ll single him to kick off the Pick 4.

Race 8: Houston Ladies Classic (G3, 1 1/16 miles, 6:32 p.m. ET)

#7 Letruska (1-1) has serious frontrunning speed and will be tough to catch if she brings her "A" game. The 5-year-old mare has won 11 of her 15 starts and enters off a 6 3/4-length romp in the 1-mile Rampart (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The only potential chink in Letruska’s armor is the possibility that she’ll go too fast, too soon and weaken down the lane.

In this scenario, #2 Jeweled Princess (8-1) can steal the show at a nice price. The improving Kenny McPeek trainee has crossed the wire first in five of her last six starts, including the 1-mile, 70-yard She’s All In S. at Remington Park.

Jeweled Princess generally performs best as a mid-pack closer and can pick up the pieces if a hot pace unfolds.

Race 9: John B. Connally Turf Cup (G3, 1 1/2 miles on turf, 7:07 p.m. ET)

Trainer Mike Maker has won the John B. Connally seven times, including six in a row from 2014-2019.

On Sunday, Maker will saddle three runners in search of an eighth victory, with Belmont Derby (G1) fourth-place finisher #4 Ajourneytofreedom (10-1) and H. Allen Jerkens S. runner-up #5 Conviction Trade (7-2) the two that interest me most. Ajourneytofreedom warrants respect in his try at 1 1/2 miles for the first time, considering Maker excels as he stretches turf milers out in distance.

But there’s no guarantee the Maker runners can defeat #10 Spooky Channel (5-2), the upset winner of the 1 1/2-mile W. L. McKnight (G3) at Gulfstream Park in 2020. The son of English Channel recently returned from a layoff to finish fourth against a quality field in the 1 1/8-mile Ft. Lauderdale (G2), so the stretch back out over 1 1/2 miles should make Spooky Channel dangerous.

Race 10: Jersey Lilly Turf S. (1 1/16 miles on turf, 7:42 p.m. ET)

#1 Catch a Bid (7-5), the winner of the 2019 Riskaverse S. at Saratoga, is the clear morning-line favorite in her first start for trainer Joe Sharp. The daughter of Real Solution hasn’t run since the summer, but Sharp strikes at a 20% rate with horses off a layoff of 90 days or more, which offsets some of the concern.

Still, Catch a Bid isn’t a standout in terms of Brisnet Speed ratings. #8 Stunning Sky (3-1) has run faster and is more accomplished, with a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Valley View (G3) at Keeneland.

Trained by Maker, Stunning Sky was compromised by a wide trip and a modest pace when she finished fifth in Gulfstream Park’s Tropical Park Oaks on Dec. 26, so she can rebound with a better trip against easier competition at Sam Houston.

#7 Morning Molly (4-1), never out of the exacta in four turf starts at Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs, can also challenge at a fair price under hot jockey Ty Kennedy.

The Tickets

Race 7, $3 Pick 4: 5 with 7 with 4,5,10 with 1,7,8 ($27)
Race 7, $1 Pick 4: 5 with 2 with 4,5,10 with 1,7,8 ($9)
Total: $36

Good luck!