Low 12-Percent Takeout

BALTIMORE – Turf races from Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park lead a competitive Stronach 5 Friday afternoon with a low 12-percent takeout.

The Stronach 5, which continues to offer a strong return on investment, will start at 4:16 ET and will also include races from Laurel Park and Golden Gate Fields.

Laurel’s ninth race, a $10,000 claimer for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 mile, starts the popular wager, and it drew a wide-open field of 10 with four horses running for new barns off claims. Dr. Ferber breaks from the rail after being claimed last time out by Kieron Magee, who is 28-percent off a claim. Pay The Kid goes out first time for Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon, 50 percent first off the claim, and Souper Emperor returns to the barn of Mike Trombetta, 12 percent off the claim.

The Stronach 5 moves next to California and Santa Anita’s third race, a mile event for filly and mare maiden claimers. Awesome Pamela comes into the race off a second-place finish last time out against similar company at the distance. A neck behind Awesome Pamela last time out was Medusa’s Gaze, who breaks from the rail and has placed in six of nine starts at the distance, and a length back was Glory of Chrome, who closed well despite a wide trip. Cayton Kid goes out first time off the claim for Gary Stute.

Gulfstream’s ninth race, a mile turf event for fillies and mares with a $35,000 tag, will serve as the third leg of the sequence. Una Luna gets Paco Lopez in the saddle and will make her first start for trainer Steve Klesaris since finishing off the board in the Claiming Crown Tiara. My Sweet Wife enters off a second-place finish last out against similar company. Chose to Be Happy, first or second in seven of 10 turf starts, goes out for the first time in five months for Eddie Plesa Jr.

The fourth leg of the sequence, Golden Gate’s third race, is a starter allowance at six furlongs for fillies and mares. Holy Zags will break from the rail and will make his first start for a new barn and trainer Jonathan Wong off an eighth-month layoff. Wong also saddles She Said Yes, fifth last time out. Daniela Bella broke her maiden last out against maiden special weight company and enters with a record of 6-1-4-0.

Santa Anita’s fourth race, a starter optional claimer at six furlongs on the turf, concludes the Stronach 5. Cherubic Factor and Algeria are the only starters in the seven-horse field with a win on the turf. Doug O’Neill will saddle two horses for the first time in Explosive and Cotopaxi, who was claimed for $50,000 last time out.

Friday’s races and sequence

• Leg 1 –Laurel Race 9: (10 entries, 1 1/16 mile) 4:16 ET, 1:16 PT
• Leg 2 –Santa Anita Race 3: (8 entries, 1 mile) 4:33 ET, 1:33 PT
• Leg 3 – Gulfstream Race 9: (12 entries, 1-mile turf) 4:42 ET, 1:42 PT
• Leg 4 – Golden Gate Race 3: (8 entries, 6 furlongs) 4:49 ET, 1:49 PT
• Leg 5 –Santa Anita Race 4: (7 entries, 6 furlongs turf) 5:04 ET, 5:04 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.