Horse racing tips: Here’s four who may score at Sam Houston Race Park tonight

Sam Houston 18.22 – Three Day Weekend @ 4/1

This maiden claimer over the mile won’t take much winning and preference here is for the number four horse – Three Day Weekend.

Now an eight-raced maiden, he has some credible runs to his name both sprinting and on turf. Last time out saw his first start over today’s course and distance, where he ran to a career-best speed figure.

He should have more to offer over this trip and gets a drop in grade. He’ll likely be held up off the pace which could be no bad thing, as I expect the number seven and five to go hard early.

This will hopefully set the race up for Three Day Weekend to grab them late.

Sam Houston 19:24 – Sailsinthesunset @ 11/4

Speed on Tap is likely to attract plenty of market support as trainer Steve Asmussen has a 25 per cent strike rate at this Texas track. Jockey Stewart Elliot is in the plate again and the pair have combined to win 10 times in 21 starts.

However, Speed on Tap has been very frustrating and my patience has run out. The shape of the race makes the Sailsinthesunset a bet for me.

He was second in this grade on his last start and is well drawn, which should complement his early speed allowing him to get a solo run on the rail.

That’s a lethal combination in dirt racing.

He’s been drawn from stall eight and 10 the last twice, so should relish the move inside and will hopefully take them pillar-to-post tonight.

Sam Houston 19:54 – Kats Second Silver @ 11/10

This is probably the race of the card and looks to revolve around the front two in the betting; Valiant Appeal and Kats Second Silver.

While their last time out speed figures are very similar, Valiant Appeal earned his rating by running away with a weak looking maiden. Kats Second Silver earned his in a tough field of battle-hardened horses, so preference is with Kats Second Silver for that reason.

The make-up of the race looks to be in our favour as well and I’d expect Kats Second Silver to clear all these early and dictate at a sensible pace on the front end.

If he does that  – he’s not for catching.

Sam Houston 20:54 – Ash Blonde @ 13/8 

This is an awful race, to be frank. Miss Funny Gun drops in grade, but seems to have only one way of running. She’ll go fast early but then finishes well beaten out the back of the telly. That’s not for me.

However, Ash Blonde came back from a short break with a solid third in this grade on February 14. Her trainer Karl Broberg (548 wins in 2019) is consistently the winning-most trainer in the US year-on-year and looks to have found an ideal opportunity for Ash Blonde to shed her maiden tag.