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NYRA partners with three tracks for Cross Country Pick 5

by Brian Bohl

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 featuring action from historic Saratoga Race Course, Monmouth Park, Ellis Park and Woodbine on Saturday.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/cross-country-wagers.

The four-track wager will kick off at Monmouth with a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden contest for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 8 at 3:33 p.m. Eastern. Trainer Chad Brown will send out a pair of entrants, including the British-bred Capital Allocation, who will be making her career debut. The $384,392 purchase at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale will face a field that includes stablemate Autostrada, who finished on the board in her third career start last out when third on August 8 at Monmouth. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out Endless Front and Candy Lua for the race at the Oceanport, New Jersey-based track.

Woodbine will get in on the action with a 6 1/2-furlong allowance contest for fillies and mares 3-and-up competing over the Tapeta track in Race 7 at 4:13 p.m. Imagery has posted back-to-back runner-up finishes for trainer Michael Trombetta with both efforts coming at the Rexdale, Ontario track, while the Kevin Attard-trained Hard Street will look for class relief after finishing sixth in the Alywow on July 31 at Woodbine.

Alternating back to Monmouth, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up in a claiming contest in Race 10 at 4:33 p.m. will comprise the third leg. Trainer Wayne Potts will send out Duncastle, a last-out winner on July 23 at Monmouth.

Ellis Park, located in Henderson, Kentucky, will join the sequence with a one-mile turf maiden turf contest for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 8 at 5:10 p.m. Closet Shopper, trained by Gregory Foley, finished third at the track last out on July 18 and will be looking to break through in her ninth career start while listed at 3-1 on the morning line. The Dale Romans-trained Temper Time, 9-2, also ran second in her previous start at Ellis Park, finishing as the runner-up on July 30.

Saratoga will conclude the wager with a 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint for 3-year-olds and up in Race 10 at 5:37 p.m. Brown, who is looking to secure his fourth Saratoga training title for the meet that concludes on Monday, will look to bolster his win total by sending out Crowded Trade and Hometown. Crowded Trade, the runner-up in the Grade 3 Gotham in March at Aqueduct Racetrack, competed on the Triple Crown trail this, running third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in April at the Big A before running fifth in the Grade 1 Preakness in May at Pimlico. He finished third last out in the Grade 2 Amsterdam on August 1 at the Spa. Hometown, a chestnut son of Constitution, finished second to eventual graded-stakes winner First Captain last out in a May 29 allowance tilt at Belmont traveling a one-turn mile.

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 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, September 4:

Leg A: Monmouth – Race 8 (3:33 p.m.)

Leg B: Woodbine – Race 7 (4:13 p.m.)

Leg C: Monmouth – Race 10 (4:33 p.m.)

Leg D: Ellis Park – Race 8 (5:10 p.m.)

Leg E: Saratoga– Race 10 (5:37 p.m.)