LAUREL, MD – The Stronach Group announced today it will begin offering a new national Pick 5 wager – the Stronach 5 – beginning Friday, September 28.

The first week will offer a guaranteed pool of $50,000 on the multi-race, multi-track wager with an industry-low 12-percent takeout.

The minimum wager on the Stronach 5 will be $1. The Stronach 5 will feature races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

The Stronach 5 will be a fun, action-packed wager that will take less than 60 minutes. The Maryland Jockey Club will serve as host of the Stronach 5 and offer the multi-race bet as a separate wagering program. Past performances for the Stronach 5 will be available in programs at all Stronach Group tracks and in the Daily Racing Form.

The first 100 fans who buy a program Sept. 28 at Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Maryland or Golden Gate will be awarded a Quick Pick ticket on the Stronach 5.

While The Stronach Group had a similar cross-country wager in the Magna 5 from 2004-2010, there are significant differences with the Stronach 5. The Magna 5 had a 22 percent takeout, and if there were no winning tickets 75 percent of the pool was carried over.

For the Stronach 5, if a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection in that race on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.