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NYRA partners with Woodbine and Monmouth for Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday

by Brian Bohl

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 encompassing action from Saratoga Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday. All five races have post times within a 50-minute timeframe. 

Live coverage of all the sequence's races will be available with America's Day at the Races on FS1 and MSG+. 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.

Woodbine will initiate the sequence in Race 9 at 5:26 p.m. Eastern with a seven-furlong allowance sprint. A full 12-horse field will compete in the one-turn event for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Coach Lori, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, ran third in her stakes debut in the Star Shoot on June 13 at the track and finished third last out against allowance company over the same surface on July 4. Stakes-placed Perfection Cat, who ran third in the 2017 Glorious Song, will also compete for trainer Roger Attfield.

A 1 1/16-mile turf handicap for 3-year-olds and up will be the second race, as action shifts to Monmouth Park for Race 11 at 5:33 p.m. A 10-horse field will see trainer Kelly Breen send out two contenders in King of Spades and Bold Daddy.

Historic Saratoga Race Course will host the first of its two races in the sequence, starting with another full field of 12 New York-bred 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course in Race 9 at 5:43 p.m. The allowance tilt will see Stanhope, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Javier Castellano, look to build on his maiden-breaking effort last out. After a pair of runner-up finishes and a victory, Stanhope will make his sophomore debut, while Simply, a debut winner who ran third last out for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, will make his Saratoga bow. 

Woodbine will host the penultimate leg with Race 10 at 5:58 p.m. A full field of 13 3-year-olds and up will contest the 6 ½ furlong allowance, with Casse sending out Muskoka Son and Patrol while Tino Attard will saddle News Flash. Michael Trombetta will send out Cohiba Ghost, a maiden-winner last out in his fourth attempt on June 19 at the same track.

The lone stakes of the five-race slate comes in the finale, where the Spa will host the 37th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in Race 10 at 6:16 p.m. Six-time graded stakes-winner Whitmore will return to historic Saratoga Race Course for the first time since winning the 2018 Grade 1 Forego, with the Ron Moquett-trained son of Pleasantly Perfect drawing post 2 as the 123-pound co-highweight. Firenze Fire has four wins in his last five starts dating to November and drew post 3, carrying 122 pounds. Mind Control [post 5, 123 pounds]; Volatile [post 4, 121 pounds] and Lexitonian [post 1, 118 pounds] comprise a talented field in the six-furlong sprint that could have major Breeders' Cup Sprint implications in November at Keeneland. 

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, July 25:
Leg 1 - Woodbine, Race 9: (5:26 p.m.)
Leg 2 - Monmouth, Race 11: (5:33 p.m.)
Leg 3 - Saratoga, Race 9: (5:43 p.m.)
Leg 4 - Woodbine, Race 10: (5:58 p.m.)
Leg 5 - Saratoga, Race 10: Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (6:16 p.m.)