NYRA, Monmouth, Woodbine offer Cross Country Pick 5

The New York Racing Association Inc. will host an all-graded-stakes Cross Country Pick 5, featuring action from Saratoga Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack.

Monmouth will host the first two legs of the sequence, starting with the Grade 3, $300,000 Monmouth Cup for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles in Race 10 at 4:40 p.m. ET.

As part of the Grade 1 Haskell undercard, the Monmouth Cup will see Joevia, the 2019 Belmont Stakes third-place finisher, return to the track where he broke his maiden in July 2018 and also where he captured last year's Long Branch. The Gregg Sacco trainee will be part of a 10-horse field that includes Global Campaign, the 2019 Peter Pan (G3) winner at Belmont Park who also ran third in last year's Jim Dandy (G2) for trainer Stanley Hough.

The action will continue at Monmouth for the $300,000 United Nations (G1) as Race 11 at 5:12 p.m. ET. The 1 3/8-mile turf route will see Current, the third-place finisher in the Kitten's Joy Pan American (G2) in March, as part of a nine-horse field. Current, the Todd Pletcher trainee who captured the 2018 Grade 3 Dixiana Bourbon, will go up against a field that includes Standard Deviation, who ran third in the Hollywood Derby (G1) in November at Del Mar for conditioner Graham Motion. Standard Deviation ran second this year in Qatar in the Group 1 H.H. The Amir Trophy.

An international flavor will be added to the Cross Country Pick 5 when it shifts to Woodbine for the $175,000 Royal North (G2) as Race 9 at 5:28 p.m. ET. Summer Sunday, one of two entrants for trainer Stuart Simon, will look to repeat as winner in defending her 2019 victory. Summer Sunday was named Canada's champion female sprinter in 2019 and made her 5-year-old debut by running third in the Grade 3 Whimsical on June 21 at Woodbine. Simon will also saddle Sister Peacock in the six-furlong Royal North.

The penultimate leg will be Monmouth's signature race, the $1 million Haskell (G1) as Race 12 at 5:48 p.m. ET. A "Win and You're In" qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Keeneland, the Haskell will also offer qualifying points to September's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby for the first time in history. The top four-finishers will receive 100-40-20-10 points towards the "Run for the Roses," with seven sophomores competing at 1 1/8 miles.

Authentic, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is the 4-5 morning-line favorite after starting his year with victories in the Sham (G3) and the Grade 2 San Felipe before running second in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) on June 6. He will face a talented seven-horse field that includes the Pletcher trained Dr Post, who ran second to Tiz the Law in last month's Belmont Stakes. The rest of the field includes Jesus' Team, Ancient Warrior, Fame To Famous, Lebda and NY Traffic.

Saratoga Race Course will conclude the sequence with the third Grade 1, offering the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies in Race 10 at 6:16 p.m. ET. Offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks, the Coaching Club American Oaks will see multiple graded-stakes winner Tonalist's Shape, who boasts six wins from seven starts, sent out by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Baffert will out Crystal Ball, who graduated last out by 6 1/4 lengths on June 14 in a 1 1/16-mile maiden at Santa Anita. Antoinette, Altaf, Velvet Crush and Paris Lights will also attempt the 1 1/4-mile test.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year.

Cross Country Pick 5 - Saturday, July 18:

Leg 1 - Monmouth, Race 10: Grade 3 Monmouth Park (4:40 p.m.)

Leg 2 - Monmouth, Race 11: Grade 1 United Nations (5:12 p.m.)

Leg 3 - Woodbine, Race 9: Grade 2 Royal North (5:28 p.m.)

Leg 4 - Monmouth, Race 12: Grade 1 Haskell (5:48 p.m.)

Leg 5 - Saratoga, Race 10: Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks (6:16 p.m.)