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Cross Country Pick 5 Ending With Vanderbilt Pays $1,277

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 returned $1,277.75 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. Encompassing action from Saratoga Race Course, Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack, the sequence's total pool was $163,442.

Woodbine kicked off the wager when Afleet Katherine edged Perfection Cat by a head to win Race 9, an allowance for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. Trained by Kevin Attard, whose Starship Jubilee upset champion Sistercharlie earlier in the day in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga, Afleet Katherine returned $14.50 on a $2 win wager.

Monmouth, located in Oceanport, N.J., hosted the second leg, as Croatian outkicked Lookin at Roses by a head to win a starter handicap going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Croatian paid $3.40 as the favorite on the fast track in Race 11.

Action shifted to historic Saratoga for the third leg, with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. piloting Turbo Drive to a one-length win in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance in Race 9. Off at 17-1, the Mike Maker trainee paid $36.60, rallying from 11th after three-quarters of a mile for a furious charge that saw the New York-bred run down the competition in the final furlong.

Back at Woodbine for Race 10, Red Hierarchy cruised to a six-length win in the 6 ½-furlong sprint on the Rexdale, Ontario-based all-weather track. Trained by Jamie Attard, Red Hierarchy went off as the favorite, paying $3.90.

Saratoga was the site of the sequence's lone stakes, as Volatile went gate-to-wire to defeat a four-horse field in the Grade 1, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap in Race 10. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old son of Violence improved to 3-for-3 in 2020, completing the six-furlong sprint in 1:09.61. Ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., Volatile paid $2.80 as the favorite. The $850,000 purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is 5-1-0 in six starts has won four straight.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, 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. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Vanzzy Rises To The Occasion In Jersey Derby

Trainer Michael Pino was pretty sure he had a stakes-caliber grass horse in Vanzzy. Now he's certain of it.

Sitting an ideal trip behind dueling leaders, Vanzzy shot through an opening along the rail coming out of the final turn and powered his way to a 3½-length victory in Sunday's $100,000 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

After a fourth-place finish and then a third in graded stakes races this year in his first two grass tries, the 3-year-old son of Verrazano–Selva by Forest Wildcat had his turf breakthrough in the 77^th edition of the Jersey Derby.

Paco Lopez, Monmouth Park's runaway riding leader, rode the winner, who paid $7.20 in the field of seven. Time for the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course listed as firm was 1:42.30.

“A perfect trip. A great ride by Paco (Lopez),” said Pino. “This horse needs that kind of trip. He's a little antsy early. I was real happy with the ride, real happy with the trip and he punched away like he's getting better. This was his best race yet.

“You can see he is getting better with each race, especially when we can get him to settle like we did.”

Lopez, who said he had the option of taking the lead or settling in with the versatile Vanzzy opted for the latter. He was on the rail, alternating between third and fourth as longshots Island Commish and Bye Bye Melvin dueled through a half in :49.41 and reached the mile together in 1:36.46.

With three horses fanned across the track coming out of the final turn, Lopez found an opening along the rail and Vanzzy exploded through it. Bye Bye Melvin held for second, three-quarters of a length behind the late-running Iris Mias.

“I think you can say that was a perfect trip for this horse,” Lopez said. “Mike left it up to me, but he said this horse can be on the lead if you need him to be. The turf course isn't really fast. It's a little soft. I was just so comfortable with him being on the rail and following horses. I just had to wait for the chance to move.

“You have to make a split-second decision coming out of the turn. Sometimes the rail is open, sometimes it's not. This time it was open for me so I took it. He really responded when he got through and was able to run.”

Owned by Daniel M. Ryan, Vanzzy posted his fourth victory in nine career starts, boosting his lifetime earnings to $232,726.

Pino said the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs was the next possible destination for Vanzzy.

“We'll play it by ear,” Pino said. “He has become a real solid horse.”

Racing resumes at Monmouth Park with a six-race twilight card on Friday night. First race post time is 5 p.m.

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Keeping Clients Safe: Impact Of COVID-19 On Equine Vets And Farriers

Though equestrian competitions were halted and many boarding barns were shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, equine veterinary and farrier care have been considered essential services, allowed to carry on throughout lockdown. However, it has been a challenge to continually provide care for client horses while keeping customers and caregivers safe.

In order to continue to work, vets and farriers were mandated to establish protocols that followed state and local distancing, quarantine and decontamination guidelines. During lockdown, many equine clinics were able to continue to see emergency cases, but were unable to perform elective surgeries for multiple weeks.

When lockdown lifted, most clinics still didn't return to “normal”; many are unable to allow clients into waiting rooms or pharmacies, so workers meet their clients in parking lots to either take the horse from the owner or to deliver medications.

Many farriers are now unwilling to have clients or trainers hold horses while they are being shod, electing instead to have their assistants hold or to place the horse in crossties. Between clients, all tools are disinfected. Even when stay-at-home orders are lifted, may vets and farriers will keep their biosecurity practices in place to keep staff and clients safe.

Though the pandemic has changed the way equine professionals must interact with their clients, requiring much more interaction from a distance or via phone or text, equine professionals still strive to give their two- and four-legged clients the best of care.

Maximum Security Exits San Diego in Good Order; Pacific Classic or Woodward Next

Champion Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) was “good” Sunday morning following an all-out effort for a nose victory in Saturday’s GII San Diego H. at Del Mar, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert told the Del Mar notes team.

“I actually thought he was pretty good right after the race being that I only had him about 80%,” Baffert said. “I didn’t think he’d have to do a stop-and-go movement [during the race] but he showed what a great horse he is.”

Making his first start for Baffert, first in five months, and under new jockey Abel Cedillo, Maximum Security vied with Midcourt (Midnight Lute) for the lead through the first quarter in :23.74, dropped back to third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Midcourt at the half-mile mark, rallied to draw even with an eighth of a mile to go and prevailed by a nose at the end of the 1 1/16-mile race.

“It’s a good starting point, we learned a lot about the horse, now we’re caught up and he’s ready to go,” Baffert said.

Either the GI TVG Pacific Classic Aug. 22 at Del Mar or the GI Woodward S. Sept. 5 at Saratoga is next for the 4-year-old, Baffert added, with the former a more likely proposition.

“The Pacific Classic or the Woodward, depending … but I like the Pacific Classic,” Baffert said. “He brings his racetrack with him. He’s got a lot of will to win, he’s courageous and a smart horse. There’s just something about him, he’s got a lot of will to win. He’s got a lot of W’s by his name and there’s a reason for that.”

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