Three on the Turf, Full Fields for Friday Stronach 5

Three on the Turf, Full Fields for Friday Stronach 5

Low 12-Percent Takeout

LAUREL, MD – The Stronach 5 will feature three competitive turf races from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park Friday along with a low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5, which also features races from Laurel Park and Golden Gate Fields, had four winning tickets last week with each worth $27,477.70.

The Stronach 5 will go coast-to-coast beginning in Maryland at approximately 3:54 ET and will conclude at approximately 5:13 ET in Florida.

Leg A: Laurel Race 8, 3:54 ET

7 Furlongs, $10,000 Maiden Claimer, 3-year-old fillies

Heliacal Rising drops from a third-place finish in a $20,000 maiden event last out for Claudio Gonzalez and figures to be one of the favorites. Kieron Magee claimed Summer Music for $20,000 two back, finished sixth last out for $16,000. Kobe’s Girl was wide last out but still rallied for the place for Team Gaudet. Bellify returns a week after finishing sixth at the $25,000 level for Courtney Young.

Leg B: Gulfstream Race 8, 4:11 ET

About 7 ½-furlongs turf, Allowance Optional Claimer, fillies and mares

A dozen hit the turf including Secret Time, Group placed in France at two, who makes her first start since August. Trainer Danny Gargan is 57 percent with starters off long layoffs. Lilac Girl is lightly raced and goes out after breaking her maiden at Turfway in December. The Jonathan Thomas-trained daughter of Quality Road was second in two starts on Belmont’s turf in the fall. Wow goes out for Mark Hennig after a ninth-place finish against similar. Both the second and third-place finishers came back to win. Bill Mott saddles Amusing Antics, second in her only start at Keeneland on the turf. Star Seeking, second in her U.S. debut, is on the AE for trainer Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz Jr.

Leg C: Santa Anita Race 3, 4:37 ET

1 mile turf, Starter Optional Claimer, fillies and mares

Trainer Peter Eurton saddles two here. Warrior’s Moon enters off a second-place finish last out against similar. Drayden Van Dyke returns to ride a mare who’s placed in six of 13 turf races. Noble Hearted goes out second time off a nine-month layoff. Carries a ‘bullet’ work into this contest. Frose finished fourth in the Astra (G3) last time out, beaten 9 ¼ lengths while going 1 ½ miles. Should like the cut back in distance.

Leg D: Golden Gate Race 3, 4:53 ET

1 mile, $5,000 Claimer, fillies and mares

Mangotango and Perfect Edition both enter off victories at the distance. Smokinhotredhead, second last out, won consecutive races at the distance in December and January. Del Mar Flash drops after racing against $20,000 claimers last out and finishing fifth. Silk Road Sally finished fifth in a starter allowance Feb. 11 off a five-month layoff. But the 4-year-old has worked well since and could improve in this spot.

Leg E: Gulfstream Race 10, 5:13 ET

1 1/8-mile turf, Maiden Special Weight, 4-year-olds and up

A wide-open field of nine with so many ways to go. Aussie Pride just missed in her debut at Tampa last month for Bill Mott. Trainer Christophe Clement’s Q F Seventy Five goes out for the first time in eight months and since gelded. Red Hot and Blue was very wide last out in November after hitting the board twice on the turf last fall for Shug McGaughey. Nepotism, a son of Union Rags, has five starts, two seconds and three thirds and tries the turf for the first time for Jonathan Thomas.

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.