Breaking the Bank: Sunshine State Bonanza

Breaking the Bank - featuring data courtesy of Equibase - highlights the biggest scores of the past week in racing. (Woodbine photo by Eclipse Sportswire) 
The late Pick 5 at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 11 was going according to plan for chalk players with three straight favorites winning Races 6-8. There were undoubtedly many live tickets going into Race 9, which is when the racing gods uncorked a nasty knuckle-curve.
In baseball, the curve ball or “Uncle Charlie” as insiders sometimes call it, can leave a batter dumbfounded – incapable of getting the bat off his shoulders while staring, jaw agape, as the ball slowly rotates past. The batter heads back to the dugout muttering to himself and rethinking each pitch in the sequence.
I envision a similar portrait at Gulfstream on Dec. 11 as bettors who were coasting toward a modest score were left shaking their heads while one better scooped up a jackpot score of $49,023.25.
The sequence kicked off with three straight fastballs as 2.20-to-1 favorite Hot Cotton, 2.60-to-1 chalk Deer Dog and 2.30-to-1 favorite Teri’s Big Heart won races six, seven and eight, respectively.
Shadow Rock closed from fifth in race nine and edged clear late to win by a length at 30.40-to-1 odds — the knuckle of the aforementioned knuckle-curve in the closing two races — and Forever for Always eliminated all but one of the live tickets with a score at 24.90-to-1 in the finale.
I’d wager there were at least a few bettors rehashing that Pick 5 and wishing they had pushed the “all” button in one of those last two races or singled one or more of the favorites and spread out late, but such is the life of a horseplayer. Second-guessing yourself is a part of the process.
Forever for Always also sparked a mammoth payout in the $1 Super High Five, which requires the bettor to predict, in order, the first five home in a given race.
With Forever for Always leading the way at a tick under 25-to-1, the Super High Five returned $45,542.60 for a $1 bet. The winner was followed by Famous Sting at 4.30-to-1, Gimme Jimmy at 2.70-to-1, Royal Spaces at 37.50-to-1 and 8-to-5 favorite Austa in fifth.
Safe to say, Gulfstream closed that card with a bang thanks to 30.40-to-1 Shadow Rock winning the ninth and 24.90-to-1 Forever for Always taking the tenth for a couple of payouts of more than 45-grand.
Click here for Equibase charts from Dec. 11 at Gulfstream
Another upset at a Florida track last week triggered a number of big returns. Run Robby Run won the fourth race on Dec. 13 at Tampa Bay Downs at odds of 52.20-to-1 for the highest $2 win payout ($106.40) for the week. He also anchored a $2 Daily Double, with 31.40-to-1 Vespertini taking race three, that paid $1,259.60 and started a superfecta that returned a reported $114,380.30 for a $1 bet.
With only $46,334 total in the superfecta pool, however, we can do the math and deduct that the winning tickets were for the 10-cent minimum and paid $11,438.03.
Run Robby Run reeled in 18.90-to-1 runner-up Fairy Snow for the upset win in the 6-furlong claiming race. Lucky Place was another 3 ½ lengths back in third at 30.90-to-1 with Mr J fourth at 8-to-1. The superfecta payout certainly helped by a troubled start from 9-to-10 favorite Donegal Hall, who tired in the stretch to finish seventh.
Vespertini and Run Robby Run also started a $2 Pick 4 that paid $38,757.40, so this was another example of how a longshot or two can have a domino effect throughout an entire card. The Pick 3s that ended with Races 3, 4, 5 and 6 paid $15,175.60, $13,588.40, $8,700.60 and $1,162.60, respectively.
For those interested in some background on Run Robby Run, he entered the race on a 9-race winless stretch but had finished third, beaten by less than four lengths, in his two previous starts. Those both were $5,000 claiming races, so with the losing skid plus a jump to an $8,000 claiming race, you have a logical formula for a big price.
Click here for Equibase charts from Dec. 13 at Tampa Bay Downs
(Blog continued below table)
Top Payouts for the Week Ended Dec. 14

Wager
 Wager Amount 
 Payoff 
Track
Date
Race#

Win
 $2.00
 $106.40
TAM
12/13/14
4

Place
 $2.00
 $112.60
RP
12/13/14
1

Show
 $2.00
 $69.80
MVR
12/9/14
2

Exacta
 $1.00
 $221.30
DED
12/11/14
6

Exacta
 $2.00
 $1,930.80
RP
12/13/14
1

Quinella
 $1.00
 $70.90
TUP
12/14/14
4

Quinella
 $2.00
 $158.00
AQU
12/10/14
2

Trifecta
 $0.50
 $838.65
MVR
12/13/14
7

Trifecta
 $1.00
 $14,470.10
CT
12/12/14
4

Trifecta
 $2.00
 $13,614.20
TAM
12/13/14
10

Superfecta
 $0.10
 $16,127.06
RP
12/13/14
1

Superfecta
 $1.00
 $114,380.30
TAM
12/13/14
4

Superfecta
 $2.00
 $34,118.00
TP
12/12/14
2

Daily Double
 $1.00
 $678.20
DED
12/12/14
4

Daily Double
 $2.00
 $1,259.60
TAM
12/13/14
4

Pick 3
 $0.50
 $2,149.50
DED
12/12/14
4

Pick 3
 $1.00
 $3,707.30
PM
12/9/14
7

Pick 3
 $2.00
 $15,175.60
TAM
12/13/14
3

Pick 4
 $0.50
 $31,456.10
TAM
12/10/14
9

Pick 4
 $1.00
 $26,437.60
PM
12/9/14
10

Pick 4
 $2.00
 $38,757.40
TAM
12/13/14
6

Pick 5
 $0.20
 $43.16
PM
12/14/14
10

Pick 5
 $0.50
 $49,023.25
GP
12/11/14
10

Pick 5
 $1.00
 $23,200.50
TAM
12/10/14
9

Pick 5
 $2.00
 $6,003.00
AQU
12/11/14
5

Pick 5 Jackpot
 $0.20
 $1,559.50
LRL
12/12/14
9

Pick 5 Jackpot
 $0.50
 $1,330.75
FG
12/14/14
9

Pick 6
 $0.20
 $1,419.80
GG
12/14/14
10

Pick 6
 $1.00
 $7,614.50
TUP
12/10/14
8

Pick 6
 $2.00
 $73,013.00
AQU
12/11/14
9

Pick 6 Jackpot
 $0.20
 $8,698.88
GP
12/14/14
10

Super High Five
 $0.50
 $5,505.50
FG
12/14/14
9

Super High Five
 $1.00
 $45,542.60
GP
12/11/14
10

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.  

Based upon return on investment, the top superfecta of the week came from Remington Park on Dec. 13, when in the first race 147.50-to-1 bomb Medal of Valor rallied for second. Medal of Valor paid $112.60 to place, tops for the week, and also provided the key to one lucky bettor’s $16,127.06 winning ticket for a 10-cent superfecta.
Everyday Man won the race by 3 ½ lengths at 11.40-to-1 odds with Medal of Valor surging past 1.70-to-1 favorite Blue and Cold for second. Seeknsomthingroyal finished fourth at 19.70-to-1.
Not surprisingly, the $2 exacta return also was the highest of the week at $1,930.80 for a $2 bet on a 1-2 finish of Everyday Man and Medal of Valor.

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.