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

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will again host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday June 22, featuring racing action from Belmont Park as well as Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey.

Race 7 at Belmont kicks off the action when a field of nine fillies and mares plus one main track only entrant will assemble for a starter allowance event going 1 1/16 miles over the Widener turf course. Trainer Mike Stidham has enjoyed success shipping horses to Belmont from his Mid-Atlantic base this meet hitting at a 31% clip and he sends out Tizaprincessa, who breaks from the rail with Joel Rosario up. The race is scheduled for a 4:45 p.m. post time.

Action shifts to the Jersey Shore for the next three legs of the Cross Country Pick 5. In the second leg, a field of seven will face off in the Grade 3, $150,000 Philip H. Iselin over the main track at Monmouth Park. West Virginia-bred sensation Runnin'toluvya seeks a second graded stakes triumph in the 1 1/16 event for older horses. Trained by Timothy Grams, Runnin'toluvya won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic two starts ago and will seek his 11th straight victory. Diamond King, second in the Charles Town Classic, is also entered in the Iselin and seeks his first stakes victory since the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park last April. Carded as Race 10, the Iselin will go off at 5:02 p.m.

The Grade 1, $300,000 United Nations at Monmouth Park is the third and middle leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 and features 2017 winner Bigger Picture. Trained by Mike Maker and owned by Three Diamonds Farm, Bigger Picture was third in last year's United Nations and enters this year's running of the 1 ½ mile turf event off of a win in the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland. Trainer Chad Brown seeks his fourth triumph in the United Nations and sends out graded stakes winner Focus Group as well as multiple Brazilian Group 1 winner Arrocha. Carded as Race 11, the United Nations will go off at 5:28 p.m.

Eight fillies and mares will go into line for the $75,000 Lady's Secret, which is the fourth leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 scheduled as Race 12 with a 5:59 p.m. post time. My Miss Lilly seeks her first stakes victory since last year's Grade 2 Gazelle when she breaks from the rail for trainer Mark Hennig. Well-bred Pink Sands enters the 1 1/16-mile event over the Monmouth Park main track off of a third-place effort in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont Park last month. She is trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

The fifth and final leg of the Cross Country Pick 5 is a maiden claiming event for New York-breds over the inner turf at Belmont Park. A contentious dozen, plus an also eligible entrant and three main track only entrants, will race for a $40,000 tag. Laughing Manners displayed a much improved effort last out, where he tried turf for the first time and was only beaten by 1 ½ lengths. The son of D'Funnybone will look to graduate fourth time out for trainer Charlton Baker. The race is scheduled as Race 10 with a post time of 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 Park - Monmouth Park Cross Country Pick 5
Leg A: Belmont Park - Race 7, 4:45 p.m.
Leg B: Monmouth Park - Grade 3, $150,000 Philip H. Iselin (Race 10, 5:02 p.m.)
Leg C: Monmouth Park - Grade 1, $300,000 United Nations (Race 11, 5:30 p.m.)
Leg D: Monmouth Park - $75,000 Lady's Secret (Race 12, 5:59 pm)
Leg E: Belmont Park - Race 10, 6:24 p.m.