How to bet Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 on a budget

The New York Racing Association will on Saturday host an all-stakes Cross Country Pick 5 featuring races from Aqueduct, Oaklawn Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

Saturday's Pick 5 sequence will start with the Florida Oaks (G3), carded as Race 10 in Florida with a scheduled post time of 4:57 p.m, and continues through Oaklawn's Honeybee (G3) at 6:09 p.m.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will have a minimum bet of 50 cents and can be played through advanced deposit wager platforms.

Once again, I will use one of my favorite budget-friendly Pick 5 wagering strategies, the spread ticket formula. It would cost $360 to lump all of my contenders on one ticket, but the spread ticket formula knocks the price down to a much more reasonable $60.

Before getting to suggested tickets, let's take a look at the sequence...

Tampa Bay Downs Race 10 (Florida Oaks)

Primary - # 1 La Feve

Secondary - #5 Concrete Rose, #8 Her Royal Highness, #10 Stellar Agent

Comments - #1 La Feve (5-1) did not get much pace help and rallied for the show in the Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream on Feb. 3. Irad Ortiz takes the call again for Chad Brown, and she can win this with an expected forward move. #5 Concrete Rose (7-2) was a quality runner as a juvenile and her last below par effort on yielding ground against Newspaperofrecord in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) can be confidently tossed aside. She will probably stalk the pace and could easily score if she is ready to roll off the bench. #8 Her Royal Highness (12-1) is interesting on the surface switch for Graham Motion. Her sire Paddy O’Prado won multiple graded turf routes and dam has produced a turf winner. #10 Stellar Agent (4-1) ran into Newspaperofrecord in her final two starts last year and landed the show both times. She easily won her turf sprint bow and projects an outside stalking trip under Florent Geroux.  

Aqueduct Race 10 (Gotham Stakes)

Primary - #5 Haikal, #6 Instagrand

Secondary - #8 Tikhvin Flew

Comments - #5 Haikal (6-1) showed nice late interest in all three local dirt sprints and won despite a lack of pace in his Jimmy Winkfield return Feb. 9. He should pace to chase on Saturday, and this distance looks just about right. #6 Instagrand (1-1) ran off the screen in both dirt sprints as a juvenile including the Best Pal. He sure was good as an early 2-year-old, but this is his first start in seven-plus months and first start away from California. I am not sure how far he wants to go or if he has progressed since last year. #8 Tikhvin Flew (12-1) drew outside the other speed and might get first run if/when the front runners back up. 

Tampa Race 11 (Tampa Bay Derby)

Primary - #4 Dream Maker, #7 Win Win Win

Secondary - #5 Well Defined, #6 Outshine, #10 Tacitus

Comments - #4 Dream Maker (4-1) was highly regarded last year but never ran back to his sharp winning debut at Churchill Downs. He returned at Fair Grounds against optional claimers Feb. 9 and posted an outstanding effort. He owns a strong pedigree and projects a tactical trip under Florent Geroux. #7 Win Win Win (5-2) is an excellent sprinter exiting a big local seven-panel win in the Pasco. He is bred to go this far and probably wins this if he handles two turns. He sports back-to-back bullets for this. #5 Well Defined (7-2) added blinkers and stole the Sam F. Davis (G3) at 7-1 odds Feb. 9. All three of his wins were in front-running fashion, and his best shot is to shake loose early. #6 Outshine (8-1) won two of three dirt sprints for Todd Pletcher and he added blinkers and earned an improved number Feb. 10. Joel Rosario takes the call and he is bred to handle this trip. #10 Tacitus (12-1) is bred to be any kind for Bill Mott and he faced some decent runners in both New York maiden starts last year. 

Aqueduct Race 11 (Busher Invitational)

Primary - #3 Oxy Lady, #11 Always Shopping

Secondary - #12 Orra Moor

Comments - #3 Oxy Lady (5-1) ran her best race by far in her lone local outing in the Tempted (G3) last year. After that, she was an OK fourth in the Starlet (G1), and raced wide and failed to deliver in her Rachel Alexandra (G2) return. Looking at her overall form, she sure looks like a miler, and Javier Castellano takes the call. #11 Always Shopping (4-1) is steadily improving for Todd Pletcher and she looked good earning her diploma in the Busanda at Aqueduct on Feb. 3. That last win was at a mile and an eighth and she probably wants more ground. #12 Orra Moor (6-1) easily won both dirt sprints at Gulfstream, and a one-turn mile should be well within reach. John Velazquez rides back for Todd Pletcher and an outside stalking trip is expected.  

Oaklawn Park Race 9 (Honeybee Stakes)

Primary - #3 Sunset Wish, #6 Power Gal

Secondary - #2 Motion Emotion, #4 Bizwhacks

Comments - #3 Sunset Wish (6-1) did not have smooth sailing in the pace-less Martha Washington last time. She was a nose away from four straight wins prior to her last and might be able to bounce back while saving ground stalking the pace. #6 Power Gal (9-2) is on the upswing for Mark Casse, and she stretched out and won the Martha Washington Feb. 2. She gets pace to chase and might be able to move forward and win again. #2 Motion Emotion (3-1) went all the way in both local starts and handled two turns just fine in a runaway entry level win Feb. 17. #4 Bizwhacks (12-1) stretched out and easily graduated in the slop Feb. 3 and the runner-up was a romping next-out winner as the chalk March 2. She also handled two turns on turf last year and might be getting good at the right time for Doug O’Neil.