Stronach 5: Last Chance to Play the Stronach 5 – More Innovative Wagering Opportunities Coming

By David Joseph —-

Last Chance to Play the Stronach 5

More Innovative Wagering Opportunities Coming

LAUREL, MD – Friday’s Stronach 5 will give bettors one more chance to reap the rewards of a low 12 percent takeout and what has been a strong return on investment since 2018.

The wager will feature races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields and will begin at 4:40 ET with Laurel’s eighth race, a 5 ½ furlong maiden special weight event on the turf for fillies and mares. After stops in Florida and California, the Stronach 5 will conclude back at Laurel with Race 10.

“The Stronach 5 is taking a pause on April 15,” said Mike Rogers, acting president of the Maryland Jockey Club. “We’re retooling and refreshing 1/ST’s Coast to Coast Pick 5 offerings. Please stay tuned for more innovative wagering opportunities involving 1/ST Racetracks this Summer and Fall.”

Leg A: Laurel Race 8: 4:40 ET

5 ½ furlongs turf, maiden special weight ($50,600), fillies and mares

A field of 12 go to post, and four are first-time starters. Fly My Home, trained by Michael Stidham, had the lead in the stretch at Fair Grounds against maiden special weight company March 22 before finishing third. That race was taken off the turf. The 3-year-old daughter of Temple City gets Jevian Toledo in the saddle. Looks Don’t Lie goes out for the first time since October, but the 4-year-old daughter of Jimmy Creed had two seconds and three thirds in five turf starts last year. Hollywood Walk had one previous start in August and the daughter of Animal Kingdom finished fifth on the turf at Colonial Downs. Willing is a $135,000 daughter of More Than Ready who finished fourth over a sloppy track at Penn National in March in her only start. Forest Boyce rides.

Leg B: Gulfstream Race 8, 4:52 ET

About 5 furlongs Tapeta, starter optional claimer ($35,000), 3-year-olds

A likely favorite in this field of nine will be Unsociable from the barn of Saffie Joseph Jr. The 3-year-old son of Social Inclusion won his second start in a maiden optional claimer on the Tapeta in January before setting the pace and finishing second last time out over the same surface off a two-month layoff. Junior Alvarado gets the mount. Faithful Ruler is a $230,000 son of American Pharoah who broke his maiden on the all-weather surface at Turfway in January. Trainer Rohan Crichton has Emisael Jaramillo on Living Water. The due are 29-percent together and Living Watrer drops a bit in company. Eddie Plesa Jr.’s barn is going good and he sends out I’ll Finish, who breaks from the rail and tries Tapeta for the first time.

Leg C: Santa Anita Race 3, 5:07 ET

5 ½ furlongs, maiden special weight ($67,000), fillies and mares

A field of eight maidens bred or sired in California and half will make their racing debuts. Reddam Racing LLC’s Sapadilla and Anna’s Music come out of the same race March 18. Sapadilla was a bit slow leaving the gate and checked in second, beaten eight lengths. Anna’s Music was a half-length behind in third after also breaking slowly. She gets blinkers Friday. Square Not, a 5-year-old mare, was third in her debut March 27. Trainer Mark Glatt is 22 percent with maidens making their second start. Tracy Di Vicenzo was second in her debut Feb. 27 against $20,000 maiden claimers. The winner of that race, Marie, returned to win a $25,000 claimer against four others.

Leg D: Golden Gate Race 3, 5:21 ET

1-mile, Maiden Claimer ($16,000), 4-year-olds and up

Arch Prince has won two consecutive races, his last off a Feb. 25 claim for $8,000, and steps up in company once again. Coolcross was beaten by Arch Prince by two lengths Feb 25 and returned to finish third March 7 against Ecologist, who returned to win April 8. Bronze Warrior has wired fields twice at the distance and makes his first start since Jan. 30. Trainer Jonathan Wong sends out Push Through, third to Arch Prince March 25.

Leg E: Laurel Race 10: 5:44 ET

1 1/16-mile, maiden claimer ($10,000), three, four and five years old

The Stronach 5 concludes with a field of eight and Uncle Jerome coming out of a second-place finish against similar last out. Aftermath, an $80,000 son of Arrogate claimed out of his last at Turfway for $7,500, goes out first time for Anthony Aguirre Jr. and gets jockey Jorge Ruiz. A couple possibilities come from the barns of Robin Graham and Claudio Gonzalez. Oro Gris, trained by Graham, didn’t run a bit in the slop last out. The gelding goes back to rider Forest Boyce and Graham puts blinkers on. Texas Tower was never a factor when finishing 10th in his debut March 19. This marks his first start in the Gonzalez barn.

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