Breaking the Bank: Mountains of Cash on the Horizon
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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)
There were some payoffs that broke the bank last week, but the day that should bring some sparkle to the eyes of big-game hunters at the mutuel windows is Saturday.
That’s when there will be a mandatory payoff of the Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot at Gulfstream Park, and there could be a mountain of cash to take home.
After no one had the lone winning ticket on the Pick 6 Sunday, there will be a massive carryover of $4,003,307.90 into Wednesday’s card.
If no one hits the Pick 6 with the only winning ticket in the next three racing days at the Hallandale, Fla., track, then it will be winner—or winners—take all on Saturday.
Yet whether or not someone collects more than $4 million in the next few days, there will be a benefit to chasing the mandatory payoff.
If the carryover stretches into Saturday and then one blessed soul wins the Pick 6, because of the gargantuan pool the consolation reward for hitting 5 of 6 will be much higher than usual.
And if there are several winners on Saturday, with an extra $4 million in the pool and no carryover to the next day, there will be a string of incredibly high winning and consolation payoffs.
Beyond that, even if someone finds the pot of gold under the rainbow prior to Saturday, the lure of the mandatory payoff is certain to bring in a big handle as well as large payoffs for the Pick 6 because all of the money in the pool has to be dispensed to the betting public.
So if you haven’t chased the Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot yet, Saturday is the day to circle on your calendar.
As for last week, the Pick 6 at Santa Anita Park on March 20 was the payoff that broke the bank as it produced a cash windfall of $213,416.
Two-thirds of the sequence was relatively easy as it started with wins by third choice Amber Louise ($9.60) and the favored Seeking the Sherif ($4.20).
Then came an unexpected victory by Little Curlin, who returned to turf for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after an 18-length loss on dirt and won at 47-1 odds for a $96 win ticket.
Second-choice Opportunistic ($7.60) took the seventh race on a nine-race card and then another pile of tickets headed to the shredder when Iron Rob ($21.80) upset 2-5 favorite Denman’s Call in the San Pedro Stakes.
That left it to third-choice Seedsandstemsagain ($9.20) to cap the sequence and make at least a couple of Pick 6 players the deliriously happy holders of winning tickets with a six-figure value.
CLICK HERE FOR THE EQUIBASE CHARTS FOR MARCH 20 AT SANTA ANITA PARK
The Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot might have eluded Gulfstream Park handicappers but there was still plenty of sunshine for players in the track’s exotic wagers.
The Pick 4 on March 19 that ended in the ninth race produced bling worth $61,340.95 for a single 50-cent wager.
It was no easy task to string together the four winners as three paid $38 or more.
Eminent Force ($38.60) prevailed in the opening leg at 18-1 and then My Wish List ($46) followed at 22-1 odds for a double worth $452.
Honvoni ($44.40) was next with a 21-1 shocker for a $6,238.90 Pick 3 for $1 which set the stage for a Pick 4 worth nearly 10 times that figure when third choice Direct Message ($9.80) captured the final leg.
The week’s “How did you come up with that one?” award was also presented at Gulfstream Park.
Kid’s Kid came into the seventh race on March 17 off four dismal starts in which he lost by 34, 21, 13 and 40 lengths. But after taking a class drop from a $25,000 claimer into a $12,500 test, Kid’s Kid wasn’t kidding as he rallied strongly in the final furlong at whopping 73-1 odds to win by 2 ½ lengths and pay a week’s-best $148.60 for a $2 win ticket.
That’s hardly a weak payoff, though it might turn out to be small potatoes on Saturday when a rainbow will be a sign of good fortune for some Gulfstream handicappers.
Top Payouts for the Week Ended March 20
Wager
Wager Amount
Payoff
Track
Date
Race#
Win
$ 2.00
$ 148.60
GP
3/17/2016
7
Place
$ 2.00
$ 57.80
OP
3/18/2016
7
Show
$ 2.00
$ 20.60
TAM
3/18/2016
5
Exacta
$ 1.00
$ 811.00
SUN
3/20/2016
8
Exacta
$ 2.00
$ 2,379.40
OP
3/18/2016
7
Quinella
$ 1.00
$ 103.80
TUP
3/16/2016
8
Quinella
$ 2.00
$ 634.00
WRD
3/15/2016
3
Trifecta
$ 0.20
$ 148.84
HAW
3/19/2016
6
Trifecta
$ 0.50
$ 1,880.50
MVR
3/16/2016
4
Trifecta
$ 1.00
$ 9,773.90
OP
3/20/2016
9
Trifecta
$ 2.00
$ 4,291.00
AQU
3/18/2016
9
Superfecta
$ 0.10
$ 27,005.84
OP
3/18/2016
7
Superfecta
$ 0.20
$ 677.94
HAW
3/19/2016
6
Superfecta
$ 1.00
$ 28,409.80
TAM
3/20/2016
9
Superfecta
$ 2.00
$ 28,101.00
AQU
3/18/2016
9
Daily Double
$ 1.00
$ 417.10
SUN
3/20/2016
9
Daily Double
$ 2.00
$ 1,038.20
GP
3/19/2016
8
Pick 3
$ 0.20
$ 126.62
HAW
3/19/2016
7
Pick 3
$ 0.50
$ 4,362.90
FG
3/20/2016
9
Pick 3
$ 1.00
$ 6,238.90
GP
3/19/2016
8
Pick 3
$ 2.00
$ 4,265.20
LRL
3/20/2016
3
Pick 4
$ 0.20
$ 1,483.32
HAW
3/19/2016
8
Pick 4
$ 0.50
$ 61,340.95
GP
3/19/2016
9
Pick 4
$ 1.00
$ 26,023.30
OP
3/20/2016
9
Pick 4
$ 2.00
$ 12,760.00
AQU
3/20/2016
5
Pick 5
$ 0.20
$ 4,149.42
HAW
3/19/2016
5
Pick 5
$ 0.50
$ 40,521.45
GP
3/17/2016
11
Pick 5
$ 1.00
$ 15,289.70
TAM
3/19/2016
11
Pick 5
$ 2.00
$ 24,941.00
AQU
3/20/2016
5
Pick 6
$ 1.00
$ 2,104.70
TUP
3/14/2016
8
Pick 6
$ 2.00
$ 213,416.00
SA
3/20/2016
9
Pick 6 Jackpot
$ 0.20
$ 38,419.26
GP
3/19/2016
13
Super High Five
$ 0.50
$ 1,852.20
FG
3/18/2016
10
Super High Five
$ 1.00
$ 17,007.40
GP
3/17/2016
7
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.