NYRA continues to partner with Oaklawn Park, offers Cross Country Pick 5 March 23

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will continue its partnership with Oaklawn Park in hosting a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, highlighted by the $100,000 Cicada from Aqueduct and a pair of sprint stakes, the $125,000 Gazebo and the $100,000 Nodouble Breeders' from Oaklawn.

Last week's sequence, which was highlighted by two divisions of the Grade 2 Rebel from Oaklawn, handled $203,282 as the largest all-sources pool of the 2019 Cross Country Pick 5 series. A winning $0.50 ticket returned $4,812.25.

This Saturday, the Cross Country Pick 5 will feature a flurry of racing action from the Big A and Oaklawn, with a sequence bookended by stakes from the Hot Springs, Arkansas oval, starting with the Nodouble Breeders' [Race 7, 5:09 p.m. Eastern] and concluding just one hour later with the Gazebo [Race 9, 6:09 p.m.]

The Nodouble Breeders, at six furlongs for Arkansas-bred colts and geldings 3-years-old and up, drew a field of nine, including defending race champion J.E.'s Handmedown to kick off the sequence.

The second leg will be the featured Cicada [Race 8, 5:37 p.m.] from the Big A, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies that drew a talented field of eight including undefeated New York-bred Stonesintheroad.

The action jumps back to Oaklawn for the third leg [Race 8, 5:38 p.m.], a contentious claiming tilt for 4-year-olds and upward that attracted a field of 11, and then returns to Aqueduct for the penultimate leg (Race 9, 6:08 p.m.) as a field of 12 maidens looks to earn a trip to the winner's circle.

Closing out Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 is the Gazebo for sophomore sprinters that features a field of six highlighted by stakes winners Nitrous, Gray Attempt and Six Shooter.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. There will be a mandatory payout of the entire pool.

Aqueduct-Oaklawn Park Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, March 23:
Leg 1 - Oaklawn, Race 7: $100,000 Nodouble Breeders' (5:09 p.m.)
Leg 2 - Aqueduct, Race 8: $100,000 Cicada (5:37 p.m.)
Leg 3 - Oaklawn, Race 8 (5:38 p.m.)
Leg 4 - Aqueduct, Race 9 (6:08 p.m.)
Leg 5 - Oaklawn, Race 9: $125,000 Gazebo (6:09 p.m.)