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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 to feature all-graded stakes sequence from Aqueduct Racetrack, Keeneland

by Mary Eddy

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, featuring an all-graded stakes sequence from Grade 2 Wood Memorial Day at Aqueduct Racetrack and Grade 1 Blue Grass Day at Keeneland.

The Cross Country Pick 5 requires bettors to pick the winner of five select races from tracks across the country. The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country with each week featuring a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5, boasting a low 15 percent takeout, offers sequences with races from Aqueduct Racetrack and partner tracks across the country.

The sequence kicks off at 3:09 p.m. Eastern in Race 6 from Aqueduct Racetrack, the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore for sophomores sprinting seven furlongs. The field of seven is led by graded stakes-placed Prove Right for trainer James Chapman. The son of Justify was last seen posting a dominant 9 1/4-length victory in an optional claiming event on Friday at Laurel Park. He earned graded black type when third in the Grade 3 Nashua in November at the Big A. The Linda Rice-trained Joey Freshwater looms large to his inside and enters from a narrow defeat against older horses in a first-level allowance effort on March 19 that produced a field-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

The second leg will feature the first of two Grade 1 races in the sequence as a field of seven assemble for the $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets [Race 8, 4:19 p.m.], a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. Grade 1-winner White Abarrio is in search of his second top-level conquest for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr. after a last-out optional claiming victory that garnered a career-best 103 Beyer. The Race Day colt won the Grade 1 Florida Derby last year and finished a game third in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in December at the Big A.

The in-form Repo Rocks seeks his second career graded score for trainer Jamie Ness, who has enjoyed a perfect run of form from the Tapiture gelding since taking over training duties from Gregory DiPrima four starts back. Little Vic, who won the Grade 3 Tom Fool last out for conditioner Juan Carlos Avila, and the streaking New York-bred Today’s Flavor both provide interest from posts 5 and 1, respectively.

The action switches to Keeneland for the middle and penultimate legs, beginning with the Grade 2, $350,000 Shakertown for 3-year-olds and upward sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass in Race 8 [4:35 p.m.].

The overflow Shakertown field is highlighted by Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint victress Caravel, who makes her first start for trainer Brad Cox since her upset win in that event on November 5 over the same course.

The multiple graded stakes winner will rematch with veteran gelding Artemus Citylimits, who also returns for the first time since the Turf Sprint where he finished a close fifth behind his familiar foe. The talented son of Temple City has finished on-the-board in 21-of-23 starts and earned two graded placings last year for trainer Mike Maker. Bakers Bay seeks a breakout victory for trainer Tom Drury, Jr. on the heels of a one-length optional claiming score while multiple graded stakes-winner Arrest Me Red looks for his first win since May for conditioner Wesley Ward.

Grade 1 action will continue in Race 9 at Keeneland [5:15 p.m.] in the $1 million Blue Grass, a nine-furlong test for sophomores that awards 100-40-30-20-10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby to the top-five finishers. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle last-out Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice as he looks to cement his place in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. The son of Tapit closed impressively from 11th-of-12 to take command late in the stretch and cross the wire two lengths ahead of Classic Car Wash, who also runs here for Hall of Famer Mark Casse.

The talented field includes Grade 1 Champagne-winner Blazing Sevens, who looks to get back on track for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown after finishing a distant eighth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in March at Gulfstream. Grade 3 Gotham winner Raise Cain and John Battaglia Memorial runner-up Scoobie Quando will vie to give their conditioner Ben Colebrook the second Grade 1 victory of his career.

The sequence concludes with another Kentucky Derby prep at Aqueduct Racetrack as a field of 13 have entered the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a 100-40-30-20-10 qualifier, in Race 11 [6:16 p.m.]. Brad Cox will send out two entrants in Grade 3 Withers-winner Hit Show and Grade 3 Gotham runner-up Slip Mahoney. The two grey colts have both already won over the Big A main track and will vie to give Cox his first win in this event.

Todd Pletcher will have three chances to tie fellow Hall of Famer "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons' record for the most Wood Memorial wins by a trainer [eight] as he saddles two-time winner Classic Catch and the maidens Crupi and Dreamlike, the latter of which has been a close second in two career outings. Multiple graded stakes-placed New York-breds Arctic Arrogance and General Banker have entered for trainers Linda Rice and James Ferraro, respectively, while the Brittany Russell-trained Uncle Jake makes his stakes debut off a visually impressive maiden win by 9 1/2 lengths on March 10 at Laurel Park.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence will be available for download at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/cross-country-wagers.

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct spring meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, April 8
Leg A: Aqueduct Racetrack, Race 6 – G3 Bay Shore (3:09 p.m. Eastern)
Leg B: Aqueduct Racetrack, Race 8 – G1 Carter H. (4:19 p.m.)
Leg C: Keeneland, Race 8 – G2 Shakertown (4:35 p.m.)
Leg D: Keeneland, Race 9 – G1 Blue Grass (5:15 p.m.)
Leg E: Aqueduct Racetrack, Race 11 – G2 Wood Memorial (6:16 p.m.)