Weekend 'capping: Walker the Stalker

What's going on with the stakes at Sam Houston? One week after the Cy-Fair was cancelled due to lack of competition for Wrenice, the scheduled stakes event for Jan. 20, the Spindletop for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, didn't make the overnight.

Not that this should stop us from watching and wagering on this weekend's action. There's plenty of other racing at Sam, and here's my advice based on the past performances for Friday and Saturday--bet Bobby Walker Jr. and bet him until either you're broke or the weekend's over and you can go spend your winnings.

Walker the Stalker has several good chances, including a few that should go favored. The most exciting is in Friday's feature (there is confusion sometimes over what is meant by "feature," but I was taught that is should refer to the race with the biggest purse, regardless of what is carded second to last, and that's what we will abide by in this blog), a first-level allowance for females at 8.5 furlongs. Walker Texas Ranger rides La Raine of Terror, who finished second to Sweet Idea in last month's Martanza Stakes. It was the 4-year-old's first start in her native state, after seven tries up north that included a maiden win at Mountaineer and two respectable efforts against winners at Delaware, in races where the "a other than" purse was worth a sweet $42,900.

La Raine should handle these easily with Walker up for George Northrop, who also trains the likely second choice.

Walker will offer better value Friday and Saturday on live ones for Calhoun, Schultz, and others. Walker has only half the mounts as the leaders, but I predict he'll be in the top five by the end of the month, if not by the end of this weekend.