Sensational Scores: Cashing Big on Super Saturday
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Sensational Scores - featuring data courtesy of Equibase - highlights the biggest scores of the past week in racing. (Photo by Penelope P. Miller/America's Best Racing)
On the super Saturday of the Kentucky Derby prep season, there was also a sensational score at Keeneland.
The Pick 5 that culminated with Brody’s Cause’s victory in the $1-million Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes gave astute handicappers a giant-sized bankroll for the Kentucky Derby as it returned a whopping $88,461.35 for a 50-cent wager.
The sequence, which was compromised of five graded stakes, got off to a rousing start with the $500,000 Ashland for 3-year-old fillies.
In the stretch, it looked like a classic duel between the two favorites, undefeated Cathryn Sophia and Rachel Alexandra’s daughter, Rachel’s Valentina. Yet in the final strides, a 30-1 shot named Weep No More came flying into the picture and stuck her neck in front to capture the Grade 1 stakes.
With that bolt of lightning kicking off the sequence, the momentum grew when Ami’s Flatter ($10.60), the 4-1 third choice, took the $250,000 Commonwealth Stakes to close out a $949.20 double.
When another favorite, Power Alert, bit the dust in the $200,000 Shakertown Stakes, second choice Undrafted ($9) pumped up the volume on the exotic payoffs. Indicative of what was to come two races later, anyone who cashed a ticket on them in the Pick 3 received a robust $7,423.60 for a $2 wager.
Another surprise came in the penultimate leg of the Pick 5 when Sheer Drama, who was victimized by post 13 while finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, battled back after being passed in the stretch to defeat Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria by a neck in the $300,000 Madison Stakes. Sent off at the same 8-1 odds she went off at in the Breeders’ Cup, Sheer Drama returned $18.80 and set the stage for some huge will-pays.
The one that mattered belonged to second choice Brody’s Cause ($10.20), who rallied from 11th to take the mile and an eighth Blue Grass by 1 ¾ lengths and give holders of winning Pick 5 tickets a rather rosy feeling.
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Elsewhere, cashing a huge superfecta ticket was rather easy in the fifth race at Woodbine on April 10.
By starting with Zenzizi to win the race at 41-1 odds and pay $85.30 and then adding 60-1 shot Kayez, clairvoyant handicappers were well on their way to collecting on some hefty tickets.
The exacta with those two paid $1,741. Then, with 6-1 shot Between Drinks finishing third, the triactor, as the trifecta is called at Woodbine, paid $23,548.80 for correctly tabbing the first three finishers.
Finally, with 5-2 second choice A.A. Thunder Bay checking in fourth, the superfecta returned a stack of cash worth $39,107.95 for a 20-cent wager.
Santa Anita Park kept pace with its Pick 6 on April 8, which returned a ritzy $34,686.40 to the holder of the lone winning $2 ticket.
The winning sequence started with wins by Nardo ($4.20), who was favored, and Start a Runnin ($72.80), who was sent off at 35-1.
Next came a trio of second choices Makena ($5.80), Indygo Holiday ($6.80) and Comes the Dream ($8.40), and the final act was provided by Out of Patience ($11.20), who triumphed in the final race at 9-2 odds.
The week’s “How did you come up with that one?” was presented at Turf Paradise on April 6 in the seventh race.
Absolutelyfabulous came into the first level allowance test unraced since September when she had a won a maiden claiming race. Listed at 15-1 in the morning line, the betting public thought even less of the filly and sent her off at 63-1.
Yet Absolutelyfabulous turned out to be absolutely marvelous as she dueled for the early lead and drew clear in the stretch to record a two-length victory and pay a week’s best $128.80 for a $2 win ticket.
Yes, Saturday may have been super on the Triple Crown trail, but it wasn’t the only day racing fans cashed in on some super payoffs. Just ask those fans at Turf Paradise who had an absolutely fabulous day at the races.
Top Payouts for the Week Ended April 10
Wager
Wager Amount
Payoff
Track
Date
Race#
Win
$ 2.00
$ 128.80
TUP
4/6/2016
7
Place
$ 2.00
$ 64.80
GP
4/7/2016
8
Show
$ 2.00
$ 32.20
CT
4/8/2016
2
Exacta
$ 1.00
$ 548.20
EVD
4/7/2016
4
Exacta
$ 2.00
$ 1,192.80
FON
4/10/2016
8
Quinella
$ 1.00
$ 68.50
TUP
4/6/2016
7
Quinella
$ 2.00
$ 181.40
WRD
4/5/2016
5
Trifecta
$ 0.10
$ 240.58
EMD
4/10/2016
10
Trifecta
$ 0.20
$ 121.76
HAW
4/8/2016
7
Trifecta
$ 0.50
$ 5,031.50
FON
4/10/2016
8
Trifecta
$ 1.00
$ 3,722.90
OP
4/6/2016
2
Trifecta
$ 2.00
$ 5,274.20
KEE
4/8/2016
10
Superfecta
$ 0.10
$ 5,966.33
EVD
4/7/2016
4
Superfecta
$ 0.20
$ 39,107.95
WO
4/10/2016
5
Superfecta
$ 1.00
$ 7,763.20
SA
4/10/2016
10
Superfecta
$ 2.00
$ 22,464.60
KEE
4/8/2016
10
Daily Double
$ 1.00
$ 1,954.90
LS
4/10/2016
2
Daily Double
$ 2.00
$ 949.20
KEE
4/9/2016
7
Pick 3
$ 0.20
$ 49.42
HAW
4/7/2016
6
Pick 3
$ 0.50
$ 1,070.60
EVD
4/8/2016
4
Pick 3
$ 1.00
$ 2,611.70
OP
4/8/2016
4
Pick 3
$ 2.00
$ 7,710.80
KEE
4/9/2016
6
Pick 4
$ 0.20
$ 240.84
HAW
4/8/2016
8
Pick 4
$ 0.50
$ 7,179.90
LRL
4/10/2016
5
Pick 4
$ 1.00
$ 30,217.10
OP
4/6/2016
5
Pick 4
$ 2.00
$ 3,782.00
AQU
4/8/2016
9
Pick 5
$ 0.20
$ 628.30
WO
4/9/2016
6
Pick 5
$ 0.50
$ 88,461.35
KEE
4/9/2016
10
Pick 5
$ 2.00
$ 22,309.00
AQU
4/6/2016
5
Pick 6
$ 1.00
$ 10,068.30
TUP
4/5/2016
8
Pick 6
$ 2.00
$ 34,686.40
SA
4/8/2016
8
Pick 6 Jackpot
$ 0.20
$ 32,221.10
GP
4/6/2016
8
Super High Five
$ 0.10
$ 2,882.89
LS
4/7/2016
8
Super High Five
$ 1.00
$ 23,358.80
GP
4/9/2016
6
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.