Breaking the Bank: Rewarding Daydream

Breaking the Bank - featuring data courtesy of Equibase - highlights the biggest scores of the past week in racing. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire) 
The 11th race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 31 may not have produced a perfect ending, but it surely was rewarding for those folks who had faith in Colorado Daydream.
Though he was sent off at 16.30-to-1 odds, the 6-year-old gelding was not one of the four horses singled in the Rainbow 6. That honor went to Lumberyard Jack at 36.10-to-1, Il Volo at 90.20-to-1, Tinitus at 83.50-to-1 and Russian Greek at 54.10-to-1, who combined to finish eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th.
Meanwhile, Colorado Daydream, coming off a wide, troubled trip in his last start, worked out a ground-saving trip that paved the way for a three-quarters of a length triumph that enabled a number of folks to break the bank.
While the Rainbow Pick 6 jackpot lived to see another day, Colorado Daydream still managed to seal a $51,900.62 payoff for a 20-cent wager, which was a rather gratifying consolation for a couple of fortunate folks.
Colorado Daydream also brought down the curtain on an even more lucrative Pick 5 payoff as the winning sequence was worth $57,543.05 for a 50-cent wager.
It was a grand payoff, especially since there were two favorites in the Pick 5 (Ironicus at $5.20 and Unitarian at $5.40) that could have pulled a Bill Belichick and deflated the payoff. Those who cashed tickets owed some gratitude to Pedal Princess ($26.40) and Artie Crasher (also $26.40) for allowing Colorado Daydream to trigger some sweet dreams.
Taking Ironicus out of the mix, the Pick 4 also generated a major score with a $20,789.10 payday for a $1 bet.
We’ll award this week’s “head for the exits happy” award to those folks who bet on the Super High Five in race eight at Santa Anita Park before heading home to watch the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIX. The winning 8-7-6-2-11 combination was worth $41,986 for those handicappers fortunate enough to plunk down a $1 wager that correctly included the first five horses to cross the finish line.
First-time starters played a major role in the outcome as Papas Cierva at 14.70-to-1 and Gold Locket at 6.90-to-1 ran 1-2. Just Bookin was third at 28-1, followed under the wire by Froggy Fresh, the 2.30-to-1 favorite, and Fab Four Ever at 3.10-to-1.
As you might expect with an order of finish like that in a 10-horse field, the trifecta returned a juicy $1,637.40 for $1 and the $1 superfecta was worth $6,617, good enough to cover a few trays of Buffalo wings for the big game – with a pint of caviar on the side.
The “how did you come up with that one?” award for the week’s most improbable winner  - other than the Patriots seconds before the Seahawks’ now infamous 2nd-and-goal pass – went to Summer Time Rules who captured the opening race at Fair Grounds on Jan. 31 to the tune of 59.30-to-1 odds and a $120.60 payoff for $2.
The 4-to-5 favorite, Classy Cajun, finished second and the 6.10-to-1 third choice Seeing Silver was third, muting the exacta ($298.20) and trifecta ($1,318.40), though each was still generous considering there was a heavy favorite in the mix.
Tabbing Summer Time Rules as the probable winner took some imagination as the 5-year-old mare sported just one win in 29 previous career starts. She also was dropping from a $10,000 claimer, in which she had lost by 27 ¾ lengths, to a $5,000 claimer, the level at which she lost by 23 lengths at 68.60-to-1 odds on Jan. 9.
Who would have thought she could win?
Then again, who would have thought the Seahawks would throw the ball?
Top Payouts for the Week Ended Feb. 1

Wager
 Wager Amount 
 Payoff 
Track
Date
Race#

Win
 $2.00
 $120.60
FG
1/31/15
1

Place
 $2.00
 $47.60
PEN
1/31/15
6

Show
 $2.00
 $35.20
TP
2/1/15
7

Exacta
 $1.00
 $333.80
SA
1/29/15
6

Exacta
 $2.00
 $874.00
CT
1/28/15
8

Quinella
 $1.00
 $88.60
TUP
1/28/15
8

Quinella
 $2.00
 $18.40
AQU
1/30/15
2

Trifecta
 $0.50
 $963.40
PEN
1/29/15
8

Trifecta
 $1.00
 $9,966.00
CT
1/31/15
1

Trifecta
 $2.00
 $6,613.80
CT
1/28/15
8

Superfecta
 $0.10
 $4,856.83
OP
1/29/15
7

Superfecta
 $1.00
 $23,919.20
SA
1/29/15
6

Superfecta
 $2.00
 $16,157.40
HOU
1/30/15
5

Daily Double
 $1.00
 $293.70
SUN
1/26/15
10

Daily Double
 $2.00
 $781.40
TAM
1/31/15
9

Pick 3
 $0.50
 $1,754.15
SUN
1/26/15
10

Pick 3
 $1.00
 $2,409.20
GP
2/1/15
7

Pick 3
 $2.00
 $5,414.20
TAM
1/31/15
9

Pick 4
 $0.50
 $8,541.75
FG
1/29/15
5

Pick 4
 $1.00
 $20,789.10
GP
1/31/15
11

Pick 4
 $2.00
 $6,987.00
TAM
1/30/15
5

Pick 5
 $0.20
 $343.78
PM
1/27/15
9

Pick 5
 $0.50
 $57,543.05
GP
1/31/15
11

Pick 5
 $1.00
 $6,285.00
HOU
1/27/15
10

Pick 5
 $2.00
 $6,115.00
AQU
2/1/15
5

Pick 5 Jackpot
 $0.20
 $23,716.00
LRL
1/29/15
9

Pick 5 Jackpot
 $0.50
 $12,105.15
FG
1/29/15
9

Pick 6
 $0.20
 $1,223.62
GG
1/31/15
9

Pick 6
 $1.00
 $7,792.70
TUP
1/26/15
8

Pick 6
 $2.00
 $16,569.00
AQU
1/30/15
8

Pick 6 Jackpot
 $0.20
 $51,900.62
GP
1/31/15
11

Super High Five
 $0.50
 $4,819.15
FG
2/1/15
9

Super High Five
 $1.00
 $41,986.00
SA
2/1/15
8

Super High Five
 $2.00
 $8,416.20
HOU
1/31/15
10

Click here for a complete list of racetracks with abbreviations.

© 2014 Equibase Company LLC, all rights reserved. Data provided or compiled by Equibase Company LLC generally is accurate, but occasionally errors and omissions occur as a result of incorrect data received by others, mistakes in processing and other causes. Equibase Company LLC disclaims responsibility for the consequences, if any, of such errors, but would appreciate their being called to their attention.  

Commonly Used Gambling Terms

Account wagering – Betting by internet or phone, in which a bettor must open an account and deposit money with which to bet.
Across the board – A bet on a horse to win, place and show. If the horse wins, the player collects three ways; if second, two ways; and if third, one way, losing the win and place bets. Actually, three bets.
Bounce – An especially poor performance on the heels of an especially good one.
Box – A betting term denoting a combination bet whereby all possible numeric combinations are covered for certain horses.
Bridge jumper – A person who wagers large amounts of money, usually on short- priced horses to show, hoping to realize a small but almost certain profit. The term comes from the structure those bettors may seek if they lose the bet.
Chalk – Betting favorite in a race.
Chalk player – Gambler who wagers on favorites.
Daily Double (or Double) – Type of bet calling for the selection of winners of two consecutive races.
Exacta – A wager in which the first two finishers in a race, in exact order of finish, must be picked.
Exacta box – A wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are selected.
Exotic (bet) – Any bet other than win, place, or show that requires multiple combinations. Examples of exotic wagers are trifecta, Pick 6, Pick 4.
Handle – Amount of money wagered in the pari-mutuel system on a race, full day of races, or entire racing season at a track.
In the money – A horse that finishes first, second or third.
Key horse – A single horse used in multiple combinations in an exotic bet.
Morning line – The starting odds set by the track handicapper.
On the board – Finishing among the first three.
On the nose – Betting a horse to win only.
Overlay – A horse whose odds are greater than its potential to win.
Pari-mutuel – System of wagering where all the money is returned to the bettors after deduction of track and state percentages.
Parlay – A multi-race bet in which all winnings are subsequently wagered on a succeeding race.
Part wheel – Using a key horse or horses in different, but not all possible, exotic wagering combinations.
Pick (6 or other number) – A type of multi-race bet in which the winners of all the included races must be selected. Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, Pick 6 are commonly used by tracks in the United States.
Place bet – A bet on a horse to finish first or second.
Quinella - Bet in which the first two finishers must be picked in either order.
Show bet – A bet on a horse to finish in the money; third or better.
Speed Figure – A metric that rates a horse’s performance in a race, which is determined by a combination of the horse’s performance and the level of competition he/she competed against.
Trifecta – A bet in which the first three finishers must be selected in exact order.
Trifecta box – A trifecta wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are bet upon.
Underlay – Horse whose odds are more promising than his potential to win.
Win – A bet on a horse to finish first.
Wheel – Betting all possible combinations in an exotic wager using at least one horse as the key.