Tips to playing Saturday's Cross Country Pick 4 on a budget
The New York Racing Association will on Saturday host a three-track Cross Country Pick 4 featuring two races from Gulfstream Park, one race from Santa Anita Park and one race from Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Pick 4 sequence will start with Race 9 at Aqueduct, a maiden claiming race with a scheduled post time of 5:05 p.m. ET. It will be followed by the Grade 3 Dania Beach, carded as Race 11 at Gulfstream (5:16 p.m.). The final two legs will be key Triple Crown prep races, starting with the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis as Race 5 at Santa Anita (5:30 p.m.). The Cross Country Pick 4 will be capped off by the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream (5:49 p.m.).
Minimum for the wager is 50 cents.
Jarrod Horak, of winninghorsepicks.com, will one of a favorite cost-effective Pick 4 wagering strategy, the spread ticket formula. It would cost $225 to lump all contenders on one ticket, but the spread ticket formula knocks the price down to an affordable $32.
Cross Country Pick 4 Contenders
Aqueduct Race 9 (Mcl-25k, NY-bred, 6f)
Primary - #9 TAMMANY GIANT, #4 Daring Destiny
Secondary - #6 Musicality, #8 Barefoot Angel, #10 Catapult Jack, #2 Big Auk
Analysis - Tammany Giant cuts back in distance and adds blinkers. Daring Destiny switches surfaces for solid layoff trainer Linda Rice.
Gulfstream Park Race 11 (G3 Dania Beach)
Primary - #6 UNTAMED DOMAIN
Secondary #7 Gidu, #9 Channel Cat
Analysis - Untamed Domain is the only graded winner in the lineup, and he found a great spot to kick off his 3-year-old campaign.
Santa Anita Race 5 (G3 Robert B. Lewis, 8.5f)
Primary - #7 PEACE, #5 Shivermetimbers
Secondary - #4 Lombo, #1 Ayacara, #6 Inscom
Analysis - Peace adds blinkers and projects a decent stalking trip. He seems to have the most upside. Shivermetimbers nipped Peace on Nov. 23 and should be forwardly placed.
Gulfstream Park Race 12 (G2 Holy Bull, 8.5f)
Primary - #7 TIZ MISCHIEF, #1 Enticed
Secondary - #4 Audible, #6 Hollywood Star, #2 Free Drop Billy
Analysis - Tiz Mischief was a head behind Enticed as my top choice in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. The former might have a fitness edge today (6 published workouts vs. 4).