Two 7-5 Favorites in Final Two Legs

BALTIMORE, MD – The Stronach 5 goes coast-to-coast Friday, with races from Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields along with an industry-low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5 continues to show a strong return on investment. Multiple winning tickets last week returned $511.70 despite the fact only one winner returned more than $5.40. A couple of 7-5 favorites late in Friday’s sequence makes things interesting.

Friday’s Stronach 5 begins with Laurel’s ninth race, an allowance event for Maryland-bred or sired horses at 5 ½ furlongs. It’s a wide-open race with a 4-1 tepid favorite in Stone Courageous. Mice and Men returns off two troubled trips and leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez sends out Baptize the Boy.

The action moves to Santa Anita for its third race, a 6 ½ furlong event on the turf for California-bred or sired maidens. In Vronsky Style debuts for trainer Phil D’Amato. The gelding draws the rail and is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Queen’s Code goes out for trainer Carla Gaines. The 4-year-old finished third in his debut on the turf Nov. 22 at Del Mar and fourth on the main track Jan. 1 at Santa Anita. Doug O’Neill sends out Square Root, a first-time gelding who gets the blinkers off.

Laurel’s 10th race, a $10,000 maiden claiming event at seven furlongs, serves as the third leg of the Stronach 5, and it’s a wide-open field of 14 with Pardon the Pun the 5-2 morning-line favorite off three consecutive runner-up placings at this level. War Light drops in class for trainer Kelly Rubley off a fifth-place finish against $40,000 maiden claimers around two turns. Lifespan, who has four second-place finishes in 10 starts, is listed at 3-1.

Gulfstream’s ninth race serves as the fourth leg of the Stronach 5. The allowance optional claiming event at five furlongs on the turf for state bred fillies and mares has a 7-5 favorite in Daddy’s Joy, who turns back from two turns for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Edgard Zayas. Golden Gate’s second race, an allowance optional claimer at six furlongs for fillies and mares wraps up the Stronach 5 and the five-horse field also has a 7-5 favorite in Coco Bee, a winner last time out for trainer Blaine Wright and a winner of six of 12 career starts.     

Friday’s races and sequence

• Leg One – Laurel Park 9th Race: (10 entries, 5 ½ furlongs) 4:17 ET, 1:17 PT
• Leg Two –Santa Anita Park 3rd Race: (9 entries, 6 12 furlongs turf) 4:35 ET, 1:35 PT
• Leg Three – Laurel Park 10th Race: (14 entries, 7 furlongs) 4:48 ET, 1:48 PT
• Leg Four – Gulfstream Park 9th Race: (8 entries, 5 furlongs turf) 5:16 ET, 2:16 PT
• Leg Five – Golden Gate Fields 2nd Race: (5 entries, 6 furlongs) 5:25 ET, 2:25 PT