Friday’s Stronach 5: Three Tracks & Five Races in Less Than an Hour

By David Joseph —-

Friday’s Stronach 5: Three Tracks & Five Races in Less Than an Hour

BALTIMORE – The Stronach 5, featuring a low 12-percent takeout, makes stops Friday at Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields with full fields and two races scheduled for the turf.

The popular wager begins at approximately 4:18 ET at Laurel and concludes less than an hour later at Golden Gate Fields.

The first leg of the Stronach 5 is a $16,000 claimer at Laurel over 5 ½ furlongs on the turf that drew a field of 12 including 2-1 favorite Slippin Jimmy. The 5-year-old gelding, trained by Sarah Nagle, runs for the first time since a fifth-place finish in May at Belmont Park in a $50,000 claimer. Slippin Jimmy has two wins, three seconds and a third in eight starts on the turf. The competition includes So Dialed In, running first off the claim by Ferris Allen, and the lightly raced 5-year-old Bourbon and Ice, trained by Mark Reid.

Gulfstream’s sixth race serves as the second leg, a five furlong optional claimer on the turf with a purse of $52,000. Awsum Roar, a winner of 10 races at the distance, is 5-2 in the morning line and will break from the rail for trainer Antonio Sano. Palomita, formerly trained by Chad Brown for e Five Racing, tries the turf for the first time for trainer David Fawkes.

The Stronach 5 returns to Laurel for its ninth race, a restricted, $40,000 allowance test at seven furlongs on the main track. Going to the Lead, who has finished worse than third only once in 14 starts, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after coming off two consecutive second place finishes by a total of less than a half length. Ain’t Da Beer Cold goes out for the second time after a eight-month layoff for Kenneth Cox. Hemp, third in the Chick Lang (G3) earlier this year, is 9-2 and gets Feargal Lynch.

Gulfstream’s seventh race is a wide-open mile event for $6,250 non-winners of two claimers with a tepid favorite in Hard Ten, who finished second by a neck last out. Jorge Delgado trains and Chantal Sutherland will ride. Eastern Symphony, trained by Murat Sancal, was last seen finishing fourth at Keeneland in May in a $20,000 claimer. Luca Panici rides. Bad Boy E.J. and Feeling Dangerous both take a drop in company.

The Stronach 5 concludes with Golden Gate’s second race, a maiden claiming event at a mile. Predetermination, the 2-1 favorite, gets the rail for trainer Andy Mathis and stretches out from 5 ½ furlongs last out. Evening Ambition, eighth in her debut Sept. 5, and Lady Doc both gets blinkers.

Friday’s races and sequence

Leg One –Laurel Race 8: (12 entries, 5 ½ furlongs turf) 4:18 ET, 1:18 PT
Leg Two –Gulfstream Race 6: (7 entries, 5 furlongs turf) 4:30 ET, 1:30 PT
Leg Three –Laurel Race 9: (10 entries, 7 furlongs) 4:50 ET, 1:50 PT
Leg Four –Gulfstream Race 7: (10 entries, 1 mile) 5:04 ET, 2:04 PT
Leg Five –Golden Gate Race 2: (7 entries, 1 mile) 5:14 ET, 2:14 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP AND 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST EXPERIENCE, and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred horse racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING drives the best-in-class horse racing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horse racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horse racing on and off the track. For more information, please email david.joseph@marylandracing.com and visit www.1st.com.