ELMONT, N.Y. – A mandatory payout for the Empire 6 wager, featuring a jackpot of $725,823 is set for Sunday at Belmont Park.
The Empire 6, which kicks off in Race 5 at approximately 2:59 p.m. Eastern, will feature three graded stakes that are each part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, highlighted by the 42nd running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Flower Bowl [Filly and Mare Turf]; the 72nd running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette [Juvenile Fillies] and the Grade 3, $150,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint]. The Breeders’ Cup will run November 1-2 at Santa Anita Park.
The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100 percent of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races,then 75 percent of the day’s net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day’s Empire 6.
Sunday’s Empire 6 will commence in Race 5 with a New York-bred maiden claiming event featuring a full field of 12 contenders, led by 7-2 morning-line choice Broadway Angel.
The second leg [Race 6, 3:37 p.m.] is a loaded maiden event featuring a full field of 12 promising juveniles where Money Never Sleeps is listed as the 4-1 morning-line choice. Other promising contenders include first time starters Lake Avenue and Orsay.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Lake Avenue is out of dual Grade 1 winner Seventh Street – a half-sister to Group 1 winning multimillionaire Reynaldothewizard.
OXO Equine’s Orsay, by American Pharoah, is on the also-eligible list. Trained by three-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Orsay is out of the millionaire multiple Grade 1-winner Life At Ten.
The third leg of the Empire 6 kicks off the stakes action with the Futurity in Race 7 at 4:12 p.m. Four Wheel Drive is the 9-5 morning line favorite in the six-horse field of juveniles going six furlongs on the Widener turf. The Flower Bowl, in Race 8 at 4:47 p.m., features seven fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/14 miles on the inner turf, and will see the Brown-trained Sistercharlie, who is listed as the 1-5 favorite, go for her sixth consecutive Grade 1 victory.
The Frizette, a prestigious race for juvenile fillies, will follow in Race 9 at 5:20 p.m.. A seven-horse field will look to earn qualifying points to the 2020 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs [10-4-2-1 points to the top-four finishers]. Hall of Famer trainers Bob Baffert, Steve Asmussen and Bill Mott each will saddle formidable contenders with Quality Response, Wicked Whisper and Frank’s Rockette, respectively.
The concluding Race 10 at 5:53 p.m. offers a full 12-horse New York-bred maiden field sprinting seven furlongs on the Widener turf.
