How to bet Laurel's $5,004 Pick 5 carryover for less than $10

The weekend at Laurel Park gets underway with a $5,004 non-jackpot carryover up for grabs in Saturday’s Late Pick 5.

The 50-cent wager carries a low 12% takeout rate and pays out consolation payoffs in the event no one assembles a winning ticket, so it’s definitely a bettor-friendly wagering opportunity.

Want to play along? We’ve gone through the sequence and identified a pair of possible singles. We’ll use them as the foundation of a Pick 5 ticket costing only $8:

Race 5: $25,000 Maiden Claiming (six furlongs): #9 Queen Cadence (9-5)

Queen Cadence didn’t fire her strongest shot in a one-mile maiden special weight at Laurel last month, fading through the homestretch to finish fourth. But two starts back, Queen Candence barely failed to wire a $40,000 maiden claimer over the same track and distance.

Dropping down in class and distance can help Queen Cadence secure a breakthrough victory. She owns the two highest Brisnet Speed ratings in Saturday’s field, and trainer Claudio Gonzalez wins at an excellent 24% rate with horses dropping from maiden special weight to maiden claiming company. Throw in jockey Angel Cruz (28% strike rate when teaming up with Gonzalez over last two months), and Queen Candence looks formidable.

Race 9: $5,000 Claiming (5 1/2 furlongs): #1 Minnetonka (1-1)

The likeliest winner in the Pick 5 sequence might be Minnetonka in the finale. The four-year-old filly has already beaten many of her Saturday rivals and enters off three straight runner-up efforts against $10,000 claiming company at Laurel Park.

Minnetonka brings competitive Brisnet Speed ratings to the mix and has enough tactical speed to set the pace, a benefit since 45% of 5 1/2-furlong dirt sprints at Laurel this meet have been won in gate-to-wire fashion. It’s also encouraging to note Minnetonka has high-profile connections in her corner—jockey Zavier Perez is a 21% winner at Laurel, while trainer John Robb is winning at a 30% rate. Together, they’ve won at a 41% rate over the past two months.

In short, there’s a lot to like about Minnetonka. She’ll be a short price, but we won’t mind if she successfully closes out our Pick 5 as a single.

• 50-cent Pick 5: 9 with 6,7 with 4,7,9,12 with 5,6 with 1 ($8)

Good luck!