LAUREL, Md. – Five races at four tracks comprise Friday’s Stronach 5, including the return of graded stakes winner Victim of Love.
The Stronach 5 will feature races from Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields as well as an industry-low 12-percent takeout. The Stronach 5 continues to show a strong return in investment. The multi-track wager returned $511.70 Feb. 12 with only one winner returning more than $5.40. The Stronach 5 was cancelled last week due to inclement weather in Maryland.
Friday’s sequence begins with Laurel’s ninth race, a six-furlong optional allowance claimer with 7-5 favorite Victim of Love, who will be making her first start since finishing third in the Ballerina (G1) Aug. 8 at Saratoga. The 5-year-old mare won the Vagrancy (G3) last year and was third in the Fritchie (G3) at Laurel.
Santa Anita’s third race, a maiden special weight event on a mile turf course for California bred or sired 3-year-old fillies, serves as the second leg of the Stronach 5. Big Beauty is the 9-5 favorite off a second-place finish in her debut Jan. 17. Trainer Craig Lewis sends out Warrens Candy Girl, second last out in the Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks.
Gulfstream’s eighth race, a mile turf event for $35,000 3-year-old claimers, serves as the third leg of the sequence. Leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on 3-1 favorite Hard Game who will break from the rail after being claimed last out by Guadalupe Preciado. Onemoretimearound makes his first start after being claimed by trainer by Danny Gargan. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount.
The Stronach 5 swings back to Laurel for Race 10, a $10,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. Get Lit is the 7-5 favorite. The Anthony Lynch-trained son of Algorithms drops from $25,000 maiden competition and gets blinkers.
Golden Gate’s third race, a $10,000 claiming event for 3-year-old fillies, concludes the Stronach 5 with a 9-5 favorite in Big Award, who drops out of maiden special weight company for trainer Tim Yakteen. Tama’s Arch (5-1), fourth in her debut Jan. 29, gets the rail for trainer Jack Steiner.
Friday’s races and sequence
• Leg One – Laurel Park 9th Race: (6 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:17 ET, 1:17 PT
• Leg Two –Santa Anita Park 3rd Race: (8 entries, 1-mile turf) 4:35 ET, 1:35 PT
• Leg Three – Gulfstream Park 8th Race: (9 entries, 1-mile turf) 4:44 ET, 1:44 PT
• Leg Four – Laurel Park 10th Race: (9 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:49 ET, 1:49 PT
• Leg Five – Golden Gate Fields 3rd Race: (8 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:53 ET, 1:53 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 Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors.
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.
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
