Low 12-Percent Takeout

BALTIMORE – The Stronach 5, featuring a low 12-percent takeout, makes stops Friday at Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields with full fields and two races scheduled for the turf.

The popular wager begins at approximately 4:18 ET at Laurel and concludes less than an hour later at Golden Gate Fields.

The first leg of the Stronach 5 is a $16,000 claimer at Laurel over 5 ½ furlongs on the turf that drew a field of 12 including 2-1 favorite Slippin Jimmy. The 5-year-old gelding, trained by Sarah Nagle, runs for the first time since a fifth-place finish in May at Belmont Park in a $50,000 claimer. Slippin Jimmy has two wins, three seconds and a third in eight starts on the turf. The competition includes So Dialed In, running first off the claim by Ferris Allen, and the lightly raced 5-year-old Bourbon and Ice, trained by Mark Reid.

Gulfstream’s sixth race serves as the second leg, a five furlong optional claimer on the turf with a purse of $52,000. Awsum Roar, a winner of 10 races at the distance, is 5-2 in the morning line and will break from the rail for trainer Antonio Sano. Palomita, formerly trained by Chad Brown for e Five Racing, tries the turf for the first time for trainer David Fawkes.

The Stronach 5 returns to Laurel for its ninth race, a restricted, $40,000 allowance test at seven furlongs on the main track. Going to the Lead, who has finished worse than third only once in 14 starts, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite after coming off two consecutive second place finishes by a total of less than a half length. Ain’t Da Beer Cold goes out for the second time after a eight-month layoff for Kenneth Cox. Hemp, third in the Chick Lang (G3) earlier this year, is 9-2 and gets Feargal Lynch.

Gulfstream’s seventh race is a wide-open mile event for $6,250 non-winners of two claimers with a tepid favorite in Hard Ten, who finished second by a neck last out. Jorge Delgado trains and Chantal Sutherland will ride. Eastern Symphony, trained by Murat Sancal, was last seen finishing fourth at Keeneland in May in a $20,000 claimer. Luca Panici rides. Bad Boy E.J. and Feeling Dangerous both take a drop in company.

The Stronach 5 concludes with Golden Gate’s second race, a maiden claiming event at a mile. Predetermination, the 2-1 favorite, gets the rail for trainer Andy Mathis and stretches out from 5 ½ furlongs last out. Evening Ambition, eighth in her debut Sept. 5, and Lady Doc both gets blinkers.

Friday’s races and sequence

• Leg One –Laurel Race 8: (12 entries, 5 ½ furlongs turf) 4:18 ET, 1:18 PT
• Leg Two –Gulfstream Race 6: (7 entries, 5 furlongs turf) 4:30 ET, 1:30 PT
• Leg Three –Laurel Race 9: (10 entries, 7 furlongs) 4:50 ET, 1:50 PT
• Leg Four –Gulfstream Race 7: (10 entries, 1 mile) 5:04 ET, 2:04 PT
• Leg Five –Golden Gate Race 2: (7 entries, 1 mile) 5:14 ET, 2:14 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 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.