Turf Races from Gulfstream & Santa Anita, Industry-Low 12-Percent Takeout

BALTIMORE – Two races from legendary Pimlico Race Course will kick off Friday’s Stronach 5, featuring four tracks, two races on the turf, and an industry-low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5 will also include races from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields.

The popular Stronach 5 begins with Pimlico’s eighth race, a $40,000 maiden event for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Edie Meeny Miny Mo, a first-time starter from the barn of Miguel Vera, is a tepid 3-1 choice. Leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez sends out Despeight All Odds coming off a pair of third-place finishes against similar company.

Pimlico’s ninth race serves as the second leg of the sequence. The $40,000 claiming event at a 1 1/16 mile for 3-year-olds is another wide-open event with two horses from the barns of Gonzalez and Dale Bennett, and entries from Hamilton Smith, Katherine Voss, Jamie Ness and Anthony Farrioor.

The action shifts to Gulfstream’s eight race and the first of back-to-back turf races. Once again, a wide-open event with six of the 11 starters 6-1 or under in the mile turf event. Santa Anita’s third race, a 6 ½ furlong turf event, follows with 10 California sired or bred 3-year-old fillies Michalski is a tepid 7-2 favorite. The Stronach 5 concludes with Golden Gate’s third race, a $12,500 claiming event for 3-year-olds. Zoffa is a 9-5 favorite.

Friday’s races and sequence

• Leg One – Pimlico Race 8: (12 entries – 6 furlongs) 4:13 ET, 1:13 PT
• Leg Two – Pimlico Race 9: (11 entries – 1 1/16-mile) 4:47 ET, 1:47 PT
• Leg Three –Gulfstream Park Race 8: (11 entries – 1-mile turf) 4:51 ET, 1:51 PT
• Leg Four –Santa Anita Park Race 3: (10 entries – 6 1/2 furlongs turf) 5:09 ET, 2:09 PT
• Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields Race 3: (10 entries – 1 mile): 6 ET, 3 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.