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NYRA partners with Lone Star Park for Memorial Day Cross Country Pick 5

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will again host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Monday, May 27, featuring racing action from Big Apple Showcase Day at Belmont Park as well as from Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.

A full field of 14 New York-bred fillies and mares, plus two also eligible entrants, start the sequence in Race 6 at Belmont Park - a $40,000 maiden claiming event going six furlongs over the Widener turf course. Trainer George Weaver is represented by a pair of strong contenders in Tarallucci and Vinda Machine. The race has a scheduled 4:12 p.m. post time.

In the second leg of the Cross Country Pick 5, seven New York-bred fillies and mares seek to add a stakes win to their resume in the $200,000 Critical Eye. Still There, the runner-up of last year's Grade 1 Test at Saratoga, stands out in a field of seven. Carded as Race 7, the Critical Eye has a scheduled post time of 4:45 p.m.

New York-bred sophomores get their chance for stakes glory in the third leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 - the $125,000 Mike Lee, which is the first leg of the "Big Apple Triple". Ten Empire State native 3-year-olds will go into line for the seven-furlong event including two-time stakes winner Blindwillie McTell for trainer Linda Rice as well as recent stakes winner Funny Guy for John Terranova and Frosted Ice, who invades from Kentucky for trainer Ron Moquett. The Mike Lee is carded as Race 9 with a 5:51 p.m. post time.

Action shifts to Texas for the penultimate leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 with the $100,000 Lone Star Park Turf. Carded as Race 8 with a post time of 6:09 p.m., nine fillies will go into line for the one-mile race which features multiple stakes placed Sensitive from the barn of Brad Cox.

In the final leg of the Cross Country Pick 5, seven New York-bred older horses will face off in the $200,000 Commentator, which features graded stakes winning millionaire Giant Expectations invading from southern California for trainer Peter Eurton. He will tackle six-time New York-bred stakes winner Pat On the Back, who is trained by Jeremiah Englehart and took the Affirmed Success on Belmont Park's Opening Day. Carded as Race 10, the Commentator will go off at 6:24 p.m.

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.

Belmont - Lone Star - Cross Country Pick 5 on Monday, May 27
Leg A: Belmont Park-Race 6 (4:12 pm)
Leg B: Belmont Park-Race 7 (4:45 pm)
Leg C: Belmont Park-Race 9 (5:51 pm)
Leg D: Lone Star Park-Race 8 (6:09 pm)
Leg E: Belmont Park-Race 10 (6:24 pm)