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Saratoga partners with Woodbine and Monmouth Park in Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5

by Brian Bohl

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

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....

Woodbine will commence the sequence with the Grade 2, $175,000 Nassau for older fillies and mares going one mile on the turf, in Race 6 at 3:43 p.m. Eastern. Jolie Olimpica, a Group 1-winner in her native Brazil, will complete for trainer Josie Carroll as part of a 12-horse field. Abscond, the winner of the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine two years ago, is also entered. Merveilleux, the winner of the $250,000 Wonder Where at Woodbine in October, is also part of the field.

The first of three races at Saratoga will make up the second leg, as a six-furlong maiden sprint for juveniles will go off in Race 6 at 3:55 pm. Chileno, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, ran fourth as the favorite in his debut in June at Churchill Downs. But the $375,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase will look to make amends, breaking from post 4. Other big-priced yearlings from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in the field include the Chad Brown-trained Watasha [$450,000], who will be making his first start. Volcanic [$230,000] ran fourth last month at Churchill in his first start and will break from post 8 for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, while Faith Runner [$300,000] makes his bow for conditioner Dallas Stewart out of post 6.

Monmouth will get in on the action in Race 9 as a field of New Jersey-bred 3-year-olds and up will compete at one mile on the turf in the $85,000 Irish War Cry Handicap at 4:05 p.m. Optic Way, second in the John J. Reilly Handicap on Independence Day at Monmouth Park, will go for trainer Derek Ryan, drawing post 2. Prendimi, third in the Reilly, will rematch Optic Way, drawing post 9 for trainer Luis Carvajal, Jr.

Saratoga will close out the Cross Country Pick 5 with the final two legs, starting with a full field of 12 in a 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf contest for 3-year-olds in Race 7 at 4:29 p.m. Space Launch, the third-place finisher in the Awad in October at Belmont, is 1-0-2 through his first three career starts for trainer Christophe Clement and drew post 11. Hombre, trained by Barclay Tagg, won going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Belmont last month in his maiden-breaking victory. He will depart post 4.

The finale will be Saratoga’s Race 8 at 5:03 p.m., when Split Then Double will try to play a winning hand in the one-mile inner turf contest for maiden fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. The Brown-trained Split Then Double enters off back-to-back runner-up efforts at Belmont Park. Baby Blythe, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, was third in her debut in December at Aqueduct Racetrack and enters off a seven-month layoff to make her sophomore debut.

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 24:

Leg A: Woodbine – Race 6, G2 Nassau (3:43 p.m.)

Leg B: Saratoga – Race 6 (3:55 p.m.)

Leg C: Monmouth– Race 9 Irish War Cry Handicap (4:05 p.m.)

Leg D: Saratoga – Race 7 (4:29 p.m.)

Leg E: Saratoga – Race 8 (5:03 p.m.)