NYRA teams up with Monmouth Park, Delaware Park for Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5

by Ryan Martin

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will again host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday June 15, featuring racing action from Belmont Park as well as Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey and Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware.

A half-dozen fillies and mares get things started in the Grade 3, $100,000 Obeah at Delaware Park. The 1 1/8 mile event over the main track features stakes winner Another Broad, who seeks her first victory against graded stakes company for trainer Todd Pletcher. Carded as Race 7 on Delaware Park's eight-race program, the Obeah will go off at 4:32 p.m. ET.

Action shifts to beautiful Belmont Park for the second leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 when nine sophomores plus one main track only entrant will go into line for a one mile allowance event over the Widener turf course. Carded as Race 7 at 4:45 p.m., Todd Pletcher sends out graded stakes winner Opry, who will make his first start since finishing 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Churchill Downs.

The third and middle leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 is the $75,000 Honey Bee at Monmouth Park. Owner Michael Dubb has three horses entered in the 5 ½ furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies including stakes winner A Bit of Both who seeks her fourth straight win and makes her turf debut in the Honey Bee. Carded as Race 10, the Honey Bee will go off at 5:00 p.m.

Action shifts back to Belmont Park for the penultimate leg when a field of ten race for a $40,000 tag over the inner turf in Race 8 which has a post time of 5:18 p.m. Going for two in a row is Lucky Bet, who broke his maiden last time out for trainer Bruce Levine.

Rounding out the Cross Country Pick 5 is Belmont Park's featured event on Saturday - the $100,000 Dancin Renee for New York-bred fillies and mares. Trainer Linda Rice sends out half-sisters Holiday Disguise and Midnight Disguise. A graded stakes winner when taking last year's Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct, Holiday Disguise will look to make amends after two off-the-board efforts against graded stakes company. Three starts back, she won the Broadway on February 16 against fellow Empire State breds. Midnight Disguise enters the Dancin Renee off of a runner-up effort in the Critical Eye. The three-time stakes winner looks for her first victory since taking the Bouwerie last year at Belmont Park. The Dancin Renee is slated as Race 9 and has a scheduled post time of 5:51 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 Park - Monmouth Park - Delaware Park Cross Country Pick 5

Leg A: Delaware Park- Grade 3, $100,000 Obeah (Race 7, 4:32 p.m.)

Leg B: Belmont Park-Race 7 (4:45 p.m.)

Leg C: Monmouth Park- $75,000 Honey Bee (Race 10, 5:00 p.m.)

Leg D: Belmont Park-Race 8 (5:18 p.m.)

Leg E: Belmont Park- $100,000 Dancing Renee (Race 9, 5:51 p.m.)