Breaking the Bank: Jackpot Finally Pays Off
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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)
The mandatory payoff on Gulfstream Park’s Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot didn’t produce the life-altering, bank-busting score so many handicappers coveted.
Yet it succeeded in capturing the imagination of the racing industry, generated a record-breaking Pick 6 handle, provided more than 140 people with enough cash to purchase some solid gold Easter eggs and no doubt spawned millions of could have, would have, should have tales that will linger into the next decade.
Yes, it wasn’t a multi-million dollar payoff, but for the holders of the 147 winning tickets, collecting $89,456.54 for a base wager of 20 cents was a rather nice day’s pay for successfully navigating through six extremely challenging races on the afternoon of March 26.
Awarded only if someone had the lone winning ticket, the Jackpot went uncashed for 53 straight programs and had a massive carryover of $4.5 million heading into this past Saturday’s mandatory payoff day, when the all of the money in the pool would be distributed regardless of the number of winning tickets.
With that $4.5 million to pad the payoff, handicappers jumped into the pool with cash in both fists. A mind-boggling $10,782,375 was wagered on March 26, meaning $15,285,707 was up for grabs.
Those figures smashed two U.S. industry Pick 6 wagering records, easily eclipsing the existing marks of a $10,870.852 overall pool and a single-day wagering figure of $7,596,347, both of which were set at Hollywood Park on July 2, 2007, when handicappers chased a three-day carryover of $3.2 million.
If there was one notable conclusion to take away from the six races it was that anyone who cashed one of those 147 winning tickets should have a sent case of champagne to trainer Bill Mott – not that he really needed it, since his Saturday afternoon also included a pair of Grade 2 stakes wins in the $300,000 Mervin Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds with Take the Stand and the $200,000 Santa Ana at Santa Anita with Tuttipaesi.
The Hall of Famer accounted for half of the Pick 6 himself, winning the seventh race – and first Pick 6 race – with Mighty Mo, then reeling off wins in the 10th race with Bibbo and the 11th race with Harmonize in the featured $75,000 Sanibel Island Stakes.
Even with heavy dose of Mott seasoning, solving the Pick 6 was demanding as none of the six races were won by a favorite.
The first favorite to bite the dust was Sir Dudley Digges, a $1.30-to-1 choice who seemed like a solid candidate to be singled off a slate of two seconds and two thirds in his last four starts heading into the maiden turf race. But Mott had Mighty Mo ($8.60) razor-sharp for his first start since an Aug. 8 debut at Saratoga and the son of Uncle Mo held off a late bid by Sir Dudley Digges to prevail by a length at 3-1 odds.
In the eighth race, 9-5 favorite Great Attack made a promising move at the top of stretch and seemed poised to edge clear, but Deer Dog ($15.80), priced at 12-1 in the morning line, dug in along the rail and outdueled the 9-year-old horse to win by three-quarters of a length at final odds of 6-1.
The ninth race exacted another heavy toll on live tickets as Rose’s Dancer ($31.80), who had lost his last two starts by nearly 25 lengths, came to life and registered a length and a quarter victory at 14-1 odds. The tough-luck favorite in that race was 8-5 choice Prime Time Tommy, who was bumped hard at the break, fell back to 12th and did quite well to finish second.
Mott returned to the winners’ circle in the 10th race as Bibbo ($18.80) stepped up off a victory in a maiden claimer and took a starter optional claiming race by a length at 8-1 odds, and the famed trainer had his picture taken once again after the 11th race.
Lira was a 9-5 favorite in the Sanibel Island off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes to 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf winner Catch a Glimpse. Meanwhile, Harmonize ($6) had not raced since finishing seventh behind Catch a Glimpse in the aforementioned Breeders’ Cup race in October, but Mott had her ready for a top effort and she responded with a ¾-length victory at 2-1 odds to start her 3-year-old campaign in impressive fashion.
That left it to the 12th race, a $25,000 maiden claiming race on the turf that was a handicapper’s nightmare with little form and most of it bad.
The betting public finally settled on a 3-1 favorite in English Mahaveer, who was dropping in class after a seventh-place finish in a $35,000 maiden claimer, but he was bumped at the start and launched only a mild rally to finish fourth.
At the wire it was Appa ($14.20), eighth in a $35,000 maiden claimer in his lone start, who took charge in mid-stretch and posted a 1 ½-length triumph over a fast-closing Sir Magu to turn $15.2 million worth of wagers into just 147 20-cent tickets valued at nearly $90,000 apiece.
CLICK HERE FOR THE EQUIBASE CHARTS FOR MARCH 26 at GULFSTREAM PARK
In the end, the Rainbow Pick 6 wasn’t the biggest payoff of the week – that honor went to the $102,243.20 payoff on the Pick 6 at Santa Anita Park on March 27 – yet in terms of arousing the interest of handicappers, it surely set a lofty new standard that will be hard to match.
While the Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot was focusing attention on one Florida racetrack, elsewhere in the state the week’s illustrious “How did you come up with that one?” award was presented on the same afternoon.
Key Agent came into the opening race at Tampa Bay Downs off a weak fifth-place finish in an $8,000 claimer at 42-1 odds and, if anything, seemed modestly priced at 20-1 in the morning line.
At post time, her 61-1 odds appeared more in tune with her chances.
Yet the combination of a stretchout to a mile and 40 yards from a 5 ½-furlong sprint, a class drop to a $5,000 claimer and a trainer switch to Margaret Wetherington worked wonders for the 5-year-old mare. She took the lead at the start and never looked back in notching a surprising three-length victory and paying a week’s best $124.60 for a $2 bet – more than enough to take a swing at a Jackpot awaiting later in the day at Gulfstream Park.
Top Payouts for the Week Ended March 27
Wager
Wager Amount
Payoff
Track
Date
Race#
Win
$ 2.00
$ 124.60
TAM
3/26/2016
1
Place
$ 2.00
$ 50.50
AQU
3/26/2016
3
Show
$ 2.00
$ 34.20
GG
3/24/2016
1
Exacta
$ 1.00
$ 554.70
SUN
3/26/2016
4
Exacta
$ 2.00
$ 828.00
TAM
3/26/2016
1
Quinella
$ 1.00
$ 206.90
TUP
3/21/2016
7
Quinella
$ 2.00
$ 144.00
AQU
3/25/2016
2
Trifecta
$ 0.20
$ 117.66
HAW
3/25/2016
8
Trifecta
$ 0.50
$ 760.40
FON
3/26/2016
2
Trifecta
$ 1.00
$ 5,459.40
OP
3/26/2016
6
Trifecta
$ 2.00
$ 2,545.00
CT
3/25/2016
1
Superfecta
$ 0.10
$ 2,409.50
SUN
3/26/2016
4
Superfecta
$ 0.20
$ 950.48
HAW
3/25/2016
8
Superfecta
$ 1.00
$ 23,110.80
GG
3/26/2016
8
Superfecta
$ 2.00
$ 6,022.00
AQU
3/25/2016
6
Daily Double
$ 1.00
$ 108.40
TUP
3/22/2016
5
Daily Double
$ 2.00
$ 900.00
FG
3/25/2016
13
Pick 3
$ 0.20
$ 185.88
HAW
3/25/2016
8
Pick 3
$ 0.50
$ 5,432.40
FG
3/25/2016
13
Pick 3
$ 1.00
$ 3,421.50
TAM
3/26/2016
3
Pick 3
$ 2.00
$ 2,831.40
LRL
3/25/2016
9
Pick 4
$ 0.20
$ 2,044.26
HAW
3/25/2016
8
Pick 4
$ 0.50
$ 20,113.70
FG
3/25/2016
13
Pick 4
$ 1.00
$ 5,845.50
OP
3/25/2016
5
Pick 4
$ 2.00
$ 2,098.00
AQU
3/25/2016
5
Pick 5
$ 0.20
$ 247.12
HAW
3/25/2016
5
Pick 5
$ 0.50
$ 11,542.90
GP
3/26/2016
12
Pick 5
$ 2.00
$ 10,483.00
AQU
3/25/2016
5
Pick 6
$ 1.00
$ 96,915.00
TUP
3/23/2016
8
Pick 6
$ 2.00
$ 102,243.20
SA
3/27/2016
10
Pick 6 Jackpot
$ 0.20
$ 89,456.54
GP
3/26/2016
12
Super High Five
$ 0.50
$ 6,421.05
FG
3/27/2016
14
Super High Five
$ 1.00
$ 34,547.40
SA
3/27/2016
10
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.