Breaking the Bank: Longshot Domino Effect at Gulfstream

Breaking the Bank - featuring data courtesy of Equibase - highlights the biggest scores of the past week in racing. (Gulfstream Park photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
One longshot often sets off a tidal wave of big payouts.
Such was the case on Sept. 6 at Gulfstream Park when Runforthewoods lit up the toteboard at odds of 64.20-to-1 in Race 5.
Not only did the mammoth upset win lead to the biggest return for the week for a $2 win bet at $130.40, it also triggered a $9,860.70 trifecta for a $1 bet, started a $2 Daily Double that paid $3,772.60 and closed out a $1 Pick 4 that produced a reported payout of $72,672.70.
The Pick 4 payout was an instance where the pool was less than the payout, which means that the winning ticket was for the minimum bet of 50 cents and returned $36,336.35.
Runforthewoods was making only his fourth career start in the 5-furlong maiden special weight race. He showed speed in his first two starts and then faded to finish double-digit lengths behind the winner in both instances.
His race immediately preceding his 64.20-to-1 upset was a nightmare trip in which he ducked in and hit the rail and failed to finish.
On the positive side, his connections brought him back a week after the debacle and kept him at essentially the same class level and the same distance, so they obviously believed he was being placed in the proper races.
Those factors coupled with the speed he showed earlier in his career helped produce a major upset. Runforthewoods sprinted to the lead, shook clear of 10 opponents while uncontested and coasted to a 2 ½-length score.
Million Heir checked in second at 2.60-to-1 and the trifecta was further boosted when 11.80-to-1 Catalina Red outfinished 5-2 favorite Flaming Hot Salsa for third. The resulting $9,860.70 payout was some kind of return for a $1 trifecta.
Runforthewoods served as the anchor leg for the massive early Pick 4 that was comprised of Races 2-5. Tricky Call set the pace and held off favored Connectable to win the opening leg at 3.40-to-1. Lines of Nazca overhauled 3-to-2 favorite and pacesetter Broncojoenvinny to win Race 3 at 8.40-to-1 before Brown Magic took Race 4 as the second betting choice at 2.40-to-1. There were no winning favorites in the first three races but nothing really out of the ordinary … that is, until Runforthewoods skipped past the finish line in the fifth race.
Runforthewoods led off a very healthy Daily Double (Races 5-6) as well. Sweet Irish Rose helped boost the $2 double payout ($3,772.60) in Race 6 when she charged from off the pace to catch 2.60-to-1 favorite Solitary and prevail at 10.60-to-1.
Check out the Equibase charts for Sept. 6 at Gulfstream Park
(Blog Continued Below Table)

Wager
 Wager Amount 
 Payoff 
Track
Date
Race#

Win
 $2.00
 $130.40
GP
9/6/14
5

Place
 $2.00
 $60.20
MNR
9/3/14
2

Show
 $2.00
 $47.20
MTH
9/1/14
9

Exacta
 $1.00
 $269.80
LRC
9/6/14
5

Exacta
 $2.00
 $1,244.00
BEL
9/7/14
7

Quinella
 $2.00
 $211.20
DMR
9/3/14
10

Trifecta
 $0.50
 $1,075.40
HP
9/5/14
7

Trifecta
 $1.00
 $9,860.70
GP
9/6/14
5

Trifecta
 $2.00
 $17,683.00
MNR
9/3/14
2

Superfecta
 $0.10
 $8,153.01
GP
9/5/14
9

Superfecta
 $0.50
 $2,062.45
EMD
9/6/14
5

Superfecta
 $1.00
 $73,863.00
KD
9/6/14
5

Superfecta
 $2.00
 $53,834.80
PEN
9/6/14
4

Daily Double
 $1.00
 $128.10
DEL
9/1/14
3

Daily Double
 $2.00
 $3,772.60
GP
9/6/14
6

Pick 3
 $0.50
 $103.90
BTP
9/6/14
8

Pick 3
 $1.00
 $6,655.70
PRX
9/1/14
9

Pick 3
 $2.00
 $6,353.40
CD
9/7/14
9

Pick 4
 $0.50
 $22,677.80
AP
9/1/14
9

Pick 4
 $1.00
 $72,672.70
GP
9/6/14
5

Pick 4
 $2.00
 $37,368.00
BEL
9/7/14
10

Pick 5
 $0.50
 $24,377.35
AP
9/4/14
9

Pick 5
 $1.00
 $4,843.60
HST
9/1/14
8

Pick 5
 $2.00
 $6,124.00
BEL
9/6/14
5

Pick 5 Jackpot
 $0.50
 $3,438.40
LRL
9/5/14
9

Pick 6
 $0.20
 $7,671.48
GG
9/1/14
9

Pick 6
 $1.00
 $3,349.60
IND
9/3/14
8

Pick 6
 $2.00
 $53,222.00
SAR
9/1/14
10

Pick 6 Jackpot
 $0.10
 $1,251.52
MTH
9/6/14
10

Pick 6 Jackpot
 $0.20
 $14,022.32
GP
9/7/14
11

Super High Five
 $0.50
 $13,222.05
DMR
9/3/14
10

Super High Five
 $1.00
 $5,008.90
CD
9/7/14
10

Super High Five
 $2.00
 $2,722.60
MNR
9/3/14
8

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.  

One day earlier on Sept. 5, Gulfstream was the site of another eye-opening payday when a 10-cent superfecta returned $8,153.01. Often, a heavy favorite finishing of the board sparks the huge superfecta scores, and Montana Cowboy held up his end of the bargain here in Race 9 when eighth at even-money.
But this huge score was so much more. Boyfriend’s Back and Gray Beau finished first and second at 15.60-to-1 and 18.40-to-1, respectively. Pure Talent took third with 80-to-1 outsider Notional’s Wind edging Bite the Gold by a neck for fourth.
There is a group of bettors who prefer multi-race exotic wagers rather than trifectas and superfecta based on the theory that it’s easier to pick winners than to try to figure out which hose will clunk up for third or fourth.
Race 9 at Gulfstream Park offers some very convincing support for that argument.

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.