Parx: How to bet the all-stakes, mandatory-payout $102,129 Pick 5 carryover

The Saturday card at Parx Racing is absolutely stuffed with stakes, including the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and $1 million Cotillion S. (G1). It also features a mandatory-payout Pick 5 carryover.

The prize pool for the 50-cent “Philly Big 5” has climbed into the six-figure range—$102,129, to be exact. This lucrative carryover will be distributed equally among all winning bettors on Saturday, no unique winning ticket required.

Let’s check out each race in the sequence (which kicks off at 4:04 p.m. ET) and construct a ticket for $60:

Race 9: Turf Monster S. (G3, five furlongs on turf)

In a race containing fewer proven turf winners than you might expect, My Frenchman S. winner #1 That’s Right (3-1) and Quick Call S. (G3) third-place finisher #2 Surprise Boss (5-1) are well worth including, even though they’re three-year-olds stepping outside their own age group. Among the older runners, recent Rainbow Heir S. winner #4 Nothing Better (4-1), the consistent dirt sprinter #5 Uncle Ernie (8-1), the pacesetting speedster #7 Boat’s a Rockin (10-1), and the veteran #11 Smooth B (6-1) are logical threats.

Race 10: Gallant Bob S. (G2, six furlongs)

Local star #14 Scaramouche (5-1) boasts a 5-for-6 record at Parx and enters off a decisive victory in a six-furlong allowance. But can Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez work out a winning trip from the far outside post? In this large and competitive field, we’ll also use the Grade 1-placed duo of #3 Provocateur (4-1) and #9 Runninsonofagun (6-1), three-time stakes winner #8 Witty (12-1), and last year’s Bowman Mill S. winner #11 Nakatomi (9-2).

Race 11: Cotillion S. (G1, 1 1/16 miles)

Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner #6 Secret Oath (2-1) ran well against division leader Nest in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama S. (G1) at Saratoga this summer, finishing second in both of those prestigious stakes. Cutting back to 1 1/16 miles should be a perfect fit for Secret Oath, whose signature move is a burst of far-turn speed that can be hard to sustain over longer trips.

For backup, we’ll include the red-hot #1 Green Up (6-1), whose four consecutive victories include a runaway score in the Cathryn Sophia S. at Parx.

Race 12: Pennsylvania Derby (G1, 1 1/8 miles)

#8 Taiba (5-2) raced wider than the victorious #5 Cyberknife (3-1) when finishing second by a head in a fast renewal of the Haskell S. (G1) two months ago. Taiba may have been short of peak fitness that day, but he’s trained up a storm ever since and should be fit for a maximum performance in the Pennsylvania Derby. We’ll take a stand and single Taiba.

Race 13: Alphabet Soup H. (1 1/16 miles on turf)

#1 Buy Land and See (5-2) dominated the 1 1/16-mile With Anticipation S. over the Penn National turf course two starts back, and he’s also run well in a couple of allowance optional claimers on the New York circuit this year. He’s a logical favorite, but we’ll also include #6 Midnight Hauler (7-2), who enters off a decisive stretch-running triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Lebanon Valley S. over the Penn National lawn.

• 50-cent Pick 5: 1,2,4,5,7,11 with 3,8,9,11,14 with 1,6 with 8 with 1,6 ($60)

Good luck!