The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host an all-stakes Cross Country Pick 5 featuring action from historic Saratoga Race Course as well as Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack in an hour span on Saturday.
Live coverage will be shown from 5-6 p.m. Eastern on NBC. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download here.
Saratoga will kick off the sequence with the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational for 3-year-old fillies in Race 8 at 5:07 p.m. Decorated Invader, who already has registered a graded stakes win over the Saratoga turf this meet, will put his undefeated sophomore record on the line as part of an eight-horse field. He is one of two entrants in the race for trainer Christophe Clement, who will also send out Gufo. Contested at 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon turf course, the Saratoga Derby will be the first leg of the 2020 Turf Triple series. Decorated Invader, who won the Grade 2 Hall of Fame on July 18, will rematch the second and third-place finishers in that contest, including runner-up Get Smokin for trainer Tom Bush, and third-place finisher Domestic Spending, trained by Chad Brown.
The 39th running of the $150,000 Pegasus for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles will mark Monmouth’s contribution to the Cross Country Pick 5 in Race 10 at 5:12 p.m.. An eight-horse field will see Pneumatic, the fourth-place finishers in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 20, make his first start since the American Classic for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The rest of the field includes Skyscanner, Big City Bob, Wartime Hero, Super John, Arkaan, As Seen On TV and Jesus’ Team.
Woodbine will host the first graded stakes competition with the Grade 2 $175,000 King Edward in Race 9 at 5:22 p.m. The one-mile turf route for 3-year-olds and up will see a pair of contenders go for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, with Dream Maker and March to the Arch leaving from the two inside posts. Dream Maker, the third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile in May 2019, returned off a 14-month layoff on July 12 at Woodbine, running fourth against allowance company. March to the Arch, sixth last out in the Grade 2 Wise Dan on June 20 at Churchill, last earned blacktype in the Grade 3 Appleton, running third, in March at Gulfstream Park.
The featured race on Saratoga’s 11-race card will comprise the sequence’s penultimate race, as the 140th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama will showcase some of the country’s top 3-year-old fillies. The 1 1/4-mile contest, slated for Race 9 at 5:43 p.m., is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland and will see trainer Kenny McPeek send out two formidable contenders, including Swiss Skydiver, who has won three graded stakes over three different tracks, including the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 28, the Grade 3 Fantasy on May 1 at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on June 6. Swiss Skydiver, who earned Kentucky Derby qualifying points when she ran second against colts in the Grade 2 Blue Grass on July 11 at Keeneland, drew post 5 in the seven-horse field. McPeek will also send out Envoutante, who earned Grade 1 black type last out with a third-place finish to Speech in the Grade 1 Ashland on July 11 at Keeneland. She drew the inside post. The talented field includes Spice Is Nice, Crystal Ball, Bonny South, Harvey’s Lil Goil and Fire Coral.
The Cross Country Pick 5 will close with the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada going 1 1/8 miles in Race 10 at 5:57 p.m. A 10-horse field will see a few potential future Queen’s Plate contenders, with the top-three finishers in the Fury on July 5 returning in Curlin’s Voyage Justleaveitalone and Infinite Patience. Lasting Union, trained by Mike Matz, enters off consecutive maiden and allowance wins at Laurel and Delaware Park, respectively.
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, August 15:
Leg 1 – Saratoga, Race 8: Saratoga Derby Invitational (5:07 p.m.)
Leg 2 – Monmouth, Race 10: Pegasus (5:12 p.m.)
Leg 3 – Woodbine, Race 9: G2 King Edward (5:22 p.m.)
Leg 4 – Saratoga, Race 9: G1 Alabama (5:43 p.m.)
Leg 5 – Woodbine, Race 10: Woodbine Oaks (5:57 p.m.)
NYRA Press
