Laurel Park to host multitrack Stronach 5 bet beginning Sept. 28

Laurel Park will be the hub for The Stronach Group's new wager, the Stronach 5, when it debuts Sept. 28, opening day of the Santa Anita fall meet, according to Sal Sinatra, president of the Maryland Jockey Club.

The Stronach 5 will be a pick five that incorporates races from different Stronach tracks. The opening Stronach 5 will include Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, and Golden Gate Fields in addition to Santa Anita. The wager will be offered every Friday.

"The goal is to run all five races in under an hour, possibly in as little as 45 minutes," Sinatra said.

With Laurel as the hub, the Stronach 5 will have a 12 percent takeout, as all pick fives at the Maryland tracks do. The minimum wager will be $1, and it will be a full-carryover bet. On days when no tickets pick all five winners, the entire pool will carry over to the next week.

"The dollar minimum should help build some nice carryovers," Sinatra said.

The bet is modeled after the Magna 5, which started in 2004 but has not been held since 2010. That $2 minimum wager had a 22 percent takeout.