Industry-Low 12-Percent takeout
Races from Pimlico, Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Golden Gate

BALTIMORE – The popular Stronach 5 returns Friday with races from Pimlico Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields along with an industry-low 12-percent takeout and three races on the turf.

Post time for the Stronach 5 is 4:15 ET. Last week’s Stronach 5 was cancelled when Pimlico stopped its live program after three races due to high winds.

The Stronach 5 begins with Race 8 from Pimlico, an allowance event on a 1 1/16-mile turf course for Maryland-bred or sired fillies and mares. Leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez will saddle Judi Blue Eyes, who has three wins, two seconds and two thirds in her last nine starts and returns to the turf for the first time since August. Little Lion Girl, eighth against open company at Aqueduct April 8, returns to Maryland and gets Forest Boyce in the saddle. Trainer Graham Motion will saddle Sweet Talking Girl, a 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride making her first start since breaking her maiden in July at Laurel.

Pimlico’s ninth race, a maiden special weight event at six furlongs for 3-year-olds, will be the second leg of the betting sequence. Motion will saddle first-time starter Grandeur, a son of Into Mischief and Loure, a daughter of A.P. Indy bred and owned by Darley. Country Life Farm’s Mosler Safe, beaten 1 ¼ lengths in his debut April 9 at Laurel, goes out for trainer Mike Trombetta. American Patrol, a beaten favorite at Churchill Downs in his debut in October over the turf, goes out for Cathal Lynch.

The third leg of the Stronach 5 will be Race 9 from Gulfstream. A five-furlong turf event for fillies and mares at the claiming level, Missing Link breaks from the rail and seeks her third consecutive victory for trainer David Fawkes. Emisael Jaramillo will ride the daughter of Kantharos, who looks for her fourth victory in six turf tries. Nicole Princess tries the turf for the first time after winning her last against similar at 5 ½ furlongs on the dirt.

Santa Anita’s third race, a mile turf event for fillies and mares, will serve as the fourth leg of the Stronach 5. Charette, a winner of three of nine on the turf, goes out first time off the claim for trainer John Sadler and Hronis Racing. Sugary goes after win No. 7 on the turf for Martin Jones.

The Stronach 5 concludes with Golden Gate’s second race, a claiming event for fillies and mares at a mile. Arouse N Go stretches out in distance after winning at 5 ½ furlongs last time out. Fantastic Secret makes her 5-year-old debut after opening 10 lengths on the field Nov. 8 here only to finish fourth, beaten three lengths, at today’s distance.

Friday’s races and sequence

• Leg One – Pimlico Race 8: (8 entries – 1 1/16-mile turf) 4:15 ET, 1:15 PT
• Leg Two – Pimlico Race 9: (9 entries – 6 furlongs) 4:49 ET, 1:47 1:49 PT
• Leg Three –Gulfstream Park Race 9: (10 entries – 5-furlongs turf) 5 ET, 2 PT
• Leg Four –Santa Anita Park Race 3: (7 entries – 1-mile turf) 5:06 ET, 2:06 PT
• Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields Race 2: (7 entries – 1 mile): 5:21 ET, 2:21 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.