Breaking the Bank: Heartbreak and Triumph
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Breaking the Bank - featuring data courtesy of Equibase - highlights the biggest scores of the past week in racing. (Photo by Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing)
Though it produced heartbreak for some unfortunate folks, the final race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 17 produced a far different emotion for another group of handicappers.
Though the seven holders of single tickets in the last leg of that day’s Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot saw their chance at a $1 million payday disappear in the face of a lopsided romp, several others celebrated a bank-busting haul of $59,244.84 from their 20-cent ticket.
While seven of the 12 horses in that race would have triggered the Rainbow Jackpot, it was one of the other five horses, 5-1 shot Eila, who posted a 10 ½-length victory that took much of the drama out of the race and generated yet another carryover of the seven-figure pool.
Eila’s victory also capped a wild final half of that Pick 6 which turned it into a tax bracket-altering payoff.
The sequence started modestly with wins by Neuk ($6.20), Princeps Senatus ($8.20) and Sum Roar ($6.40) that composed a $47.30 Pick 3 for a $1 wager.
But then Mexican Groove ($20.20) prevailed at 9-1 odds and Street Smoke rebounded from three losses by a combined 21 ¼ lengths to post a stunning 45-1 victory and pay $93 to win.
After Eila brought down the curtain on the card, there were a number of highly lucrative payoffs to hand out.
Aside the Pick 6, the Pick 5 paid $35,194.50 for 50 cents and the Pick 4 was worth $20,119.90, also for 50 cents. The Pick 3 returned $6,250.30 for a $1 wager.
In the daily double, the Street Smoke-Eila combination paid $1,280.20 for $2 while the Mexican Groove-Street Smoke double checked in at a surprisingly lower $744.80.
In that ninth race won by Street Smoke, the $2 exacta paid a hefty $831.60 and set in motion a $5,274.70 triple for $1 and a 10-cent superfecta worth $3,004.60.
Click here for the Equibase charts from Feb. 17 at Gulfstream Park
The Pick 6 at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 20 also added some digits to some handicappers’ bank accounts as it returned $40,068 for a $2 wager.
There was no reason for complaints about the payoff as the winning combination featured three winning favorites: Blooming Hannah ($6.40), Bad Read Sanchez ($3.40) and Papa’s Maggie ($5.20).
The other three winners paid no more than $15.60 with Tough But Nice ($10.40), Guns Loaded ($15.60) and Paulina’s Love ($9.60) adding the finishing touches.
Gulfstream accounted for another huge payday when the Super High 5 in the 12th race on Feb. 20 put $27,844.80 in the overflowing pockets of the holder of a winning ticket.
Little Scotty kicked off that robust mutuel payoff with a victory at 3-1 odds and was followed by horses priced at 16-1, 5-2, 23-1 and 6-1 to set off the fireworks on the tote board.
The week’s “How did you come up with that one?” award was presented along with another trophy at Fair Grounds on Feb. 20.
The setting was the Grade 2, $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, a stepping stone prep for 3-year-old fillies eyeing a spot in the Kentucky Oaks.
Stageplay, a winner of 3 of 4 career starts, was the heavy 3-5 favorite while Venus Valentine was overlooked in the wagering after finishing no better than fourth in her three starts after breaking her maiden on July 26 at Ellis Park.
But when Stageplay wilted in the final furlong, it was Venus Valentine who rallied with gusto from seventh in mid-stretch to draw clear and notch a length victory at 74-1 odds, paying a week’s-best $150.40 for a $2 win ticket.
It may have been a week late to some people, but for some handicappers at Fair Grounds, Feb. 20 was definitely Valentine’s Day.
Top Payouts for the Week Ended Feb. 21
Wager
Wager Amount
Payoff
Track
Date
Race#
Win
$ 2.00
$ 150.40
FG
2/20/2016
9
Place
$ 2.00
$ 55.40
LA
2/19/2016
1
Show
$ 2.00
$ 27.20
GP
2/20/2016
7
Exacta
$ 1.00
$ 405.00
LA
2/19/2016
1
Exacta
$ 2.00
$ 1,086.80
FG
2/20/2016
9
Quinella
$ 1.00
$ 83.00
TUP
2/20/2016
8
Quinella
$ 2.00
$ 128.50
AQU
2/21/2016
4
Trifecta
$ 0.50
$ 779.95
MVR
2/20/2016
4
Trifecta
$ 1.00
$ 5,851.40
TUP
2/17/2016
8
Trifecta
$ 2.00
$ 3,045.00
AQU
2/18/2016
5
Superfecta
$ 0.10
$ 4,977.00
TUP
2/17/2016
8
Superfecta
$ 1.00
$ 32,790.10
LA
2/19/2016
1
Superfecta
$ 2.00
$ 19,986.00
AQU
2/21/2016
7
Daily Double
$ 1.00
$ 1,485.00
HOU
2/20/2016
4
Daily Double
$ 2.00
$ 2,448.40
TAM
2/19/2016
6
Pick 3
$ 0.50
$ 1,893.90
HOU
2/20/2016
5
Pick 3
$ 1.00
$ 18,996.30
TAM
2/19/2016
7
Pick 3
$ 2.00
$ 4,156.00
AQU
2/18/2016
7
Pick 4
$ 0.50
$ 20,119.90
GP
2/17/2016
10
Pick 4
$ 1.00
$ 15,839.00
TAM
2/17/2016
6
Pick 4
$ 2.00
$ 6,925.00
AQU
2/18/2016
5
Pick 5
$ 0.50
$ 35,194.50
GP
2/17/2016
10
Pick 5
$ 1.00
$ 1,863.50
GG
2/21/2016
5
Pick 5
$ 2.00
$ 17,455.20
TP
2/21/2016
5
Pick 6
$ 1.00
$ 5,970.50
TUP
2/16/2016
8
Pick 6
$ 2.00
$ 40,068.00
SA
2/20/2016
9
Pick 6 Jackpot
$ 0.20
$ 59,244.84
GP
2/17/2016
10
Super High Five
$ 0.20
$ 108.26
HOU
2/16/2016
10
Super High Five
$ 0.50
$ 4,635.00
DED
2/18/2016
10
Super High Five
$ 1.00
$ 27,844.80
GP
2/20/2016
12
Click here for a complete list of racetracks with abbreviations.
© 2015 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.