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Sunday’s Cross Country Pick 5 to feature racing from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Monmouth Park

by Keith McCalmont

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Sunday featuring races from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Monmouth Park.

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 Belmont Park and partner tracks across the country.
 
Sunday’s sequence, which spans five races in less than one hour, kicks off in Race 8 at Churchill Downs at 4:22 p.m. Eastern with a field of 10 3-year-olds and up traveling a one-turn mile in a main track allowance.

The Dale Romans-trained Floki’s Flight, who boasts a record of 11-3-5-0, earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure last out for a prominent score in a seven-furlong claiming tilt at Churchill. He will be tested by Bad to the Bones, who seeks his second lifetime victory for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; the lightly-raced Debate for conditioner Tom Drury, Jr.; and the Paulo Lobo-conditioned Graphic Detail, who has hit the board in each of his last five outings.

Action switches to Monmouth [Race 9, 4:36 p.m.] as a field of nine 3-year-olds and up sprint 5 1/2-furlongs over the turf in an optional-claiming event led by five-time winner Mamba On Three for trainer Carlos David. The Big Drama gelding sports a perfect in-the-money record of 8-2-2-4 over the past nine months.

The lightly-raced Kanthari won his first two starts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park and now debuts for conditioner Kelly Breen out of an off-the-board effort at Keeneland. The multiple stakes-placed Grooms All Bizness will attract attention with a solid turf record of 8-2-2-1, including a pair of wins at this distance over the Monmouth green for trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr.

The middle leg will see a dozen New York-breds 3-year-olds and up contest at one-mile over Belmont's Widener turf [Race 8, 4:40 p.m.] in an optional-claimer that features the consistent Catch That Party for trainer Mike Maker.

The 6-year-old More Than Ready grey will make his seasonal debut after winning 3-of-9 starts last year. Among a plethora of protagonists are Frank’s Art, a maiden winner in his lone start at Belmont for conditioner Christophe Clement; and the late-running Battle Scars, who closed to win his Belmont debut last out at this distance for trainer Rob Atras.

Action returns to Churchill for the penultimate leg [Race 9, 4:55 p.m.] as a stacked field of 3-year-olds and up travel nine furlongs over the turf in a competitive maiden special weight.

The Jonathan Thomas-trained Truly Quality, whose second dam is 2008 Champion Grass Mare Forever Together, closed to finish second last out on debut in a one-mile turf maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Quality Chic, a Quality Road sophomore, makes his turf debut for trainer Kenny McPeek following a pair of runner-up efforts in dirt routes; while the Maker-conditioned Decanted enters from a third-place finish at this distance last out on April 8 at Keeneland.

The sequence concludes at Belmont [Race 9, 5:12 p.m.] with an overflow field of New York-bred fillies and mares battling it out over 1 1/16-miles in an inner turf maiden claimer.

The Clement-trained Orange Freeze drops in for the first time after a trio of starts at this distance in state-bred maiden special weights and will be challenged by Lem Me Drink, who closed to finish second last out at this distance over the Big A turf in April when racing for a tag for the first time for trainer Bruce Levine. Shoppingatbloomies, a troubled fifth in the aforementioned Lem Me Drink contest, will make his first start for trainer Robert Falcone, Jr., who has good numbers first off the claim.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence will be available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.
 
America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.
 
NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Belmont spring/summer 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 – Sunday, May 28
Leg A: Churchill Downs, Race 8 – ALW (4:22 p.m. Eastern)
Leg B: Monmouth Park, Race 9 – AOC (4:36 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont Park, Race 8 – AOC (4:40 p.m.)
Leg D: Churchill Downs, Race 9 –MSW (4:55 p.m.)
Leg E: Belmont Park, Race 9 – Maiden Claiming (5:12 p.m.)