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Revised schedule: Belmont Park part of four-track Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday

by Brian Bohl

* Please note the change in schedule from original Cross Country Pick 5 release from Thursday morning

Free Equibase PPs available

A packed Cross Country Pick 5 featuring racing from four racetracks will highlight Saturday's racing action, with Belmont Park, Keeneland Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack all part of the wager hosted by the New York Racing Association, Inc. 

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Belmont will kick off the set by putting on display its Empire Showcase Day card featuring some of the best state-breds in action. A 10-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up will contest at 6 1/2 furlongs over Big Sandy in the $125,000 Iroquois in Race 9 at 4:31 p.m. Eastern. The Iroquois has been won by owners Chester and Mary Broman the last two years and will look for a third straight with homebred Spin a Yarn, a five-time winner from six starts for trainer Christopher Progno. Other Iroquois contenders include Newly Minted and Prairie Fire, both trained by Linda Rice, as well as Espresso Shot, Timely Tradition, Fair Regis, Officer Hutchy Collegeville Girl, Bertranda and My Roxy Girl.

Just seven minutes later, Woodbine will add international flair to the wager with 

an allowance for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going six furlongs on the turf in Race 8 at 4:38 p.m. Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse will send out Eyeintehsky, second in the Grade 2 Royal North in July at Woodbine, and Western Curl.

Back at Belmont, multiple stakes-winners Mr. Buff, Funny Guy and Sea Foam square off in a loaded renewal of the nine-furlong $175,000 Empire Classic for 3-year-olds and up in Race 10 at 5:05 p.m. Chestertown, a $2 million purchase at the March 2019 OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, matched a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure last out in a three-quarter length score in the Albany on September 4 at Saratoga.

Monmouth will continue the sequence with the first running of the $75,000 Pinot Grigio Handicap for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf in Race 11 at 5:12 p.m. Achieving Glory, a winner against allowance company last out on October 3 at Monmouth, will go for trainer Chuck Spina, while Bramble Bay, winner of the Jersey Girl Handicap on July 19 for conditioner Michael Dini, will look to keep her perfect in-the-money record of 3-2-1 in six starts during her 4-year-old campaign intact. 

Keeneland will close the action in Race 9 with a one mile turf contest for sophomore fillies at 5:30 p.m. In Good Spirits, third in the Grade 3 Regret in June at Churchill for trainer Al Stall, Jr., will look to capitalize on class relief, while the Graham Motion-trained  Lucky Jingle enters off a fourth-place finish in the Hilltop on October 3 at Pimlico.  

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

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 - Saturday, October 24:
Leg 1 - Belmont, Race 9: Iroquois (4:31 p.m.)
Leg 2 - Woodbine, Race 8: (4:38 p.m.)
Leg 3 - Belmont, Race 10: Empire Classic (5:05 p.m.)
Leg 4 - Monmouth Park, Race 11: Pinot Grigio (5:12 p.m.)
Leg 5 - Keeneland, Race 9: (5:30 p.m.)