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​Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 to feature stakes action from Belmont Park and Oaklawn Park

by Mary Eddy

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday with stakes action from Belmont Park and Oaklawn Park. 

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.

The sequence kicks off in Race 8 (4:19 p.m. Eastern) from Belmont with a field of eight older horses in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy at nine furlongs on the inner turf. Four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown will send out a trio of contenders in search of a record extending sixth Fort Marcy score in Rockemperor, L’Imperator and Sacred Life. Steep opposition will be provided by the in-form City Man for trainer Christophe Clement and a freshened graded stakes winner in Doswell for conditioner Barclay Tagg.

The action continues in Race 9 (4:56 p.m.) from Belmont with a six-furlong allowance sprint over the Widener turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Stony Point will look for her first victory against winners after a runner-up effort in her first attempt, beaten just 1 3/4 lengths after a professional debut win sprinting five furlongs in March at Tampa Bay Downs. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Stony Point earned a 78 Beyer Speed Figure for her latest effort. The field also includes Angelinka, who makes her stateside debut for trainer Brad Cox. A French-bred daughter of Pedro the Great, Angelinka was last seen winning a one-mile test over good going in July at Hannover in Germany. 

Maiden New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward will vie for the first victory of their career in the middle leg of the sequence (Race 11, 6:08 p.m.), a $40,000 maiden claiming event at six furlongs on Belmont's inner turf. 

The Bruce Levine-trained Doc Doc Rock returns to turf following a close third in a six-furlong state-bred maiden claiming sprint in March on the Big A main track. The 3-year-old Into Mischief bay set the pace en route to finishing seventh at second asking in her turf debut in September at Saratoga in a state-bred maiden special weight when conditioned by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

Trainer Tom Albertrani sends out Unlock for her first outing since a troubled debut in August at Saratoga Race Course where she finished 10th after breaking poorly. The daughter of Congrats has been making steady progress towards a return to the races, including a bullet half-mile work over the Big Sandy 47.82 seconds on April 21. 

The action switches to Oaklawn for the final two legs, the penultimate leg featuring 14 Arkansas-bred 3-year-olds and upward travelling 1 1/16 miles in Race 11 (7:17 p.m.), the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship. Trainer and owner Robert Cline will send out Bandit Point, who hopes to build on the success he found stretching out last time when he won a state-bred allowance by a length going 1 1/16 miles on April 10 over the Hot Springs oval. The 7-year-old son of Indy Squall finished third in this race in 2019. 

Man in the Can, listed at 9-2 on the morning line for trainer Ron Moquett, has won 5-of-16 starts. He was off-the-board following a troubled trip as the mutuel favorite last out in the event won by Bandit Point. He will look to make amends from the outermost post 14.

The sequence closes out in Race 12 (7:50 p.m.) from Oaklawn, which will see a competitive field of fillies and mares aged 3-years-old and upward sprint six furlongs in an optional claiming event. Rock Star Parking streaks into the race with a pair of allowance victories at Oaklawn, taking the first on April 1 by 2 1/4 lengths before wheeling back nine days later to clinch another victory by four lengths. She was haltered for $25,000 by trainer and co-owner Cipriano Contreras out of a winning effort in October at Indiana Grand and has won 2-of-4 starts since.

The 6-year-old Congrats mare Cherished will make her first outing off the claim for owner and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who acquired the bay for $30,000 out of a win on February 26 at Oaklawn. The Greg Compton-trained Nic and Zoe was last seen finishing second in the April 10 allowance won by Rock Star Parking to make a great improvement from a well-beaten tenth in a tough allowance on March 6. 

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, which features a low 15 percent takeout, will continue each Saturday throughout the year.

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 official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the 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 – Saturday, May 7:

Leg A: Belmont Park – Race 8, G2 Fort Marcy (4:19 p.m. Eastern) 

Leg B: Belmont Park – Race 9, allowance (4:56 p.m.) 

Leg C: Belmont Park – Race 11, maiden claiming (6:08 p.m.) 

Leg D: Oaklawn Park – Race 11, $200K Arkansas Breeders’ Championship (7:17 p.m.)

Leg E: Oaklawn Park – Race 12, allowance optional claiming (7:50 p.m.)