Breaking the Bank: Cashing at Keeneland

Breaking the Bank - featuring data courtesy of Equibase - highlights the biggest scores of the past week in racing. (Keeneland photo by Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing)
Any trip to picturesque Keeneland Race Course is usually rewarding from an aesthetic viewpoint.
A trip to Keeneland’s betting windows on April 12 that resulted in hitting the Pick 6, well, that was quite rewarding to someone’s bank account. Those fans fortunate enough to connect on the final six races of the day broke the bank for $76,023 off a $2 Pick 6 ticket.
In essence, the Pick 6 was a Pick 5 as the second race in the sequence, the Appalachian Stakes, was captured by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Lady Eli, who went off at 2-to-5 odds and returned $2.80 to win as a highly obvious single on a Pick 6 ticket.
The rest of the sequence was much more of a challenge as none of the other five winners was the favorite. Three paid $11.40 to win or less, with the other two paying $16.60 and $21.40.
Click Here to View the Equibase Charts for April 12 at Keeneland
Fracula, an Oaklawn Park shipper, started the ticket with victory at 7.30-to-1 odds, then in the eighth race Miss Ella pushed the payoff into BMW territory. Sent off at 9.70-to-1 odds in the Grade 2 Adena Springs Beaumont Stakes, Miss Ella was taking a big class jump off a win in her career debut at Gulfstream Park. Yet, she handled it with aplomb and posted a 2 ½-length win for trainer Graham Motion.
On the previous day, the eighth race superfecta at Keeneland was also extremely rewarding, paying $56,628.60 for a $2 bet (or $2,831.43 for the 10-cent minimum bet).
Opening Act, after a dismal career debut at Sam Houston, found Keeneland much more to his liking and won the race at 28.20-to-1 odds. While the 3-to-2 favorite, the Shug McGaughey-trained Playtime, finished last, horses priced at 8.50-to-1, 4.30-to-1 and 26.40-to-1 followed Opening Act across the finish line to pump up the payoff.
Santa Anita had a hefty superfecta payout of its own on April 11 as the first four finishers in the ninth race combined for a $35,644.90 payout off a $1 bet (or $3,564.49 for the 1-cent minimum). In this instance, the first two finishers were head-scratchers as Pax Tecum was first at 31-to-1 and The B G Way finished second at 74.60-to-1. A 6.90-to-1 shot and then 3.60-to-1 shot completed the gargantuan payoff.
Pax Tecum, who finished 10th in his only other start, topped a $1,085.50 exacta in the day’s final race and also took home this week’s “head for the exits happy” award for his victory in handicappers’ last chance to cash a ticket.
Fans at Aqueduct stuffed their pockets and then some if they hit the Pick 4 on April 10. The payoff for connecting on the final four races of the day was $35,349 for a $2 bet ($8,837.25 for the 50-cent minimum), thanks in large part to a quartet of horses that each paid $11.20 or more and was highlighted by wins by Medaglia d’Argento ($41.60), a Laurel shipper, and Dance for Joe ($22.80).
At Tampa Bay Downs, the fourth race exacta on April 8 drifted into IRS territory when 17.80-to-1 shot Kentucky’s Tune crossed the finish line 4 ½ lengths in front of 87.40-to-1 longshot Polar Sunrise to comprise a $1,636.60 return for a $2 bet.
Speaking of longshots, the week’s “how did you come up with that one?” award went to Mystic Smile, who put a smile on the face of his backers as she won the third race at Evangeline Downs on April 10 at 57.90-to-1 odds. The $117.80 winner was making her first start since July, when she lost by 27 ¼ lengths.
Clearly, since then, something happened to make her happy and put some quickness back in her steps.
Who knows? Maybe she visited Keeneland.
Top Payouts for the Week Ended April 12

Wager
 Wager Amount 
 Payoff 
Track
Date
Race#

Win
 $2.00
 $117.80
EVD
4/10/15
3

Place
 $2.00
 $79.60
TAM
4/8/15
4

Show
 $2.00
 $24.60
GP
4/9/15
8

Exacta
 $1.00
 $1,085.50
SA
4/11/15
9

Exacta
 $2.00
 $1,636.60
TAM
4/8/15
4

Quinella
 $1.00
 $159.80
TUP
4/8/15
5

Quinella
 $2.00
 $183.50
AQU
4/11/15
2

Trifecta
 $0.50
 $756.80
PEN
4/11/15
6

Trifecta
 $1.00
 $6,840.90
TAM
4/8/15
4

Trifecta
 $2.00
 $13,262.40
CT
4/11/15
8

Superfecta
 $0.10
 $12,178.53
CT
4/11/15
8

Superfecta
 $0.50
 $538.50
CT
4/9/15
7

Superfecta
 $1.00
 $35,644.90
SA
4/11/15
9

Superfecta
 $2.00
 $56,628.60
KEE
4/11/15
8

Daily Double
 $1.00
 $261.10
TUP
4/8/15
6

Daily Double
 $2.00
 $1,181.20
PIM
4/10/15
8

Pick 3
 $0.50
 $2,609.80
PIM
4/10/15
9

Pick 3
 $1.00
 $7,301.90
TUP
4/8/15
7

Pick 3
 $2.00
 $8,328.60
KEE
4/11/15
8

Pick 4
 $0.50
 $12,635.65
SA
4/11/15
9

Pick 4
 $1.00
 $6,814.90
LS
4/9/15
9

Pick 4
 $2.00
 $35,349.00
AQU
4/10/15
8

Pick 5
 $0.20
 $1,593.05
WO
4/12/15
6

Pick 5
 $0.50
 $23,253.80
GP
4/10/15
9

Pick 5
 $1.00
 $6,596.90
MNR
4/11/15
9

Pick 5
 $2.00
 $37,515.00
AQU
4/9/15
5

Pick 5 Jackpot
 $0.50
 $38,561.60
FON
4/12/15
9

Pick 6
 $1.00
 $2,536.70
TUP
4/7/15
8

Pick 6
 $2.00
 $76,023.00
KEE
4/12/15
9

Pick 6 Jackpot
 $0.10
 $17,627.25
PIM
4/11/15
9

Pick 6 Jackpot
 $0.20
 $39,566.86
GP
4/10/15
9

Super High Five
 $0.10
 $448.09
LS
4/9/15
9

Super High Five
 $0.50
 $2,523.65
MNR
4/11/15
9

Super High Five
 $1.00
 $18,780.00
KEE
4/11/15
11

Super High Five
 $2.00
 $1,271.80
MNR
4/7/15
9

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.