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Negative Takeout Likely In Friday’s Pick 6 At The Meadowlands

Fans of the 20-cent Pick-6 at The Meadowlands will be out in force Friday (Jan. 28) night hoping to turn a negative into a positive when The Big M kicks off its 26-race weekend of live action at 6:20 p.m.

Last Saturday (Jan. 22), for a second straight race card, the Pick-6 failed to yield a winning ticket, so when racing resumes, there will be a carryover of $14,033 up for grabs. Those who had five correct were paid $672.72.

Pick-6 carryovers can create pools where the bettor gets incredible value. Take what would transpire this Friday, for instance. If $80,000 in “new money” is poured into the pool, there will be a “negative takeout,” meaning bettors with all six winners on their tickets will get back more than what's wagered that night.

That $80,000 is subject to the low 15 percent takeout, which means $12,000 goes back to the operator, leaving $68,000. The carryover is not subject to the “rake,” so the total pool would be $82,033, which creates a “negative takeout”, where the return to players is more than what is bet live. In addition, the 20-cent minimum bet allows players to “spread” their tickets with multiple combinations, increasing their chances of hitting big.

The Pick-6 takes place on races eight through 13 and free past performances for every race of every Meadowlands race card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.

GINGRAS THE GREAT: Harness racing's hottest hands belong to Yannick Gingras, as the 42-year-old has left a path of destruction through The Meadowlands' driver colony in the early stages of 2022.

The Hall of Fame bound pilot won six times on the Saturday night card at The Big M – including a victory in the feature with Covered Bridge – to up his driver-colony leading win total to 24. Joe Bongiorno is a distant second with 13.

Gingras has been remarkably consistent, winning at least three races on each of the six race cards conducted this year.

“It's been horsepower,” said Gingras of his wicked winter. “Ronnie [Burke] is racing a little more this [winter] than last year and the horses are in the right spot. I don't feel any sharper, honestly. I don't get too up or down. I feel good right now. It's just the way the cards are rolling.”

Remarkably, only one of “The Green Hornet's” Saturday winners went off as the favorite.

LIVE RACING SCHEDULE: Racing at The Big M is conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis and has a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m.

The track's live “Racing from The Meadowlands” pregame show kicks off nightly at 5:47 p.m.

OTTEN TO HOST: Big M TV's Jessica Otten will take a turn in the host's chair this Friday, and on the pregame show, she'll interview Lauren Harmon during the track's popular “In the Sulky” segment, which begins at approximately 5:50 p.m.

Harmon is a native of Michigan who grew up in a racing family – her dad Don Harmon and stepmother Krista Williams Harmon have a stable in the Midwest. Lauren, the niece of longtime Big M horseman Rob Harmon, is second trainer at thestable.ca in Ohio and drives in amateur events there.

WEATHER ALERT: With the possibility of bad weather hitting the area, those who want to make sure that there is live racing or simulcasting at The Meadowlands should check out the track's website (playmeadowlands.com) or call 201-THE-BIGM before heading to the track.

BIG POOLS, SMALL TAKEOUTS: The Meadowlands is the industry's handle leader, and much of the reason why is many of the bets the mile oval offers feature a low takeout of 15 percent.

Here is a rundown of those wagers for the upcoming weekend:

· Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5

· Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7

· Race 6: 50-cent Early Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)

· Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6

· Race 10: 50-cent Late Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)

· Race 13: 10-cent Pentafecta/Hi-5

WHO DOES BROWER LIKE? For expert selections and analysis of every Big M card, check out track oddsmaker Dave Brower's race reviews.

For Brower's input, which is generally available 48 hours before every card, go to playmeadowlands.com, then click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.

The post Negative Takeout Likely In Friday’s Pick 6 At The Meadowlands appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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New Jersey Commission Approves Nine Additional Dates For 2022

The New Jersey Racing Commission has approved a total of 71 Thoroughbred dates for the 2022 season, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News, with 60 at Monmouth Park (May 7 – Sept. 17) and 11 at the Meadowlands (Sept. 23 – Oct. 29).

That total represents nine more dates than were approved in 2020.

In addition, the commission carrying over a $21,457 Jackpot Pick 6 pool to opening day of the Monmouth meet in May. The pool was scheduled to be paid out on Oct. 30, but that day's card at the Meadowlands was canceled due to rain.

‘Miscommunication’: Modern Games Mistakenly Re-Inserted Into Pari-Mutuel Pool For Nearly Seven Minutes After Scratch

The California Horse Racing Board, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and Breeders' Cup released a joint statement Saturday morning regarding the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf run on Friday at Del Mar. The statement indicates that, contrary to the information relayed by CHRB's executive director Scott Chaney on Friday night, Modern Games was inadvertently re-inserted into the wagering pools for nearly seven minutes prior to the start of the Juvenile Turf.

“The CHRB, Del Mar, and Breeders' Cup officials reviewed the circumstances of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last night and again this morning.

“The CHRB determined that, as discussed in the aftermath of the race, #1 Modern Games was scratched by the stewards on the recommendation of one of the track veterinarians, Dr. Chuck Jenkins, at the starting gate at 17:35:35 PT.

“After additional examination and assessment of Modern Games by the attending veterinary team, track veterinarian Dr. Dana Stead concluded that the horse had not been injured and communicated to the stewards that the horse was cleared to run.

“Due to a miscommunication between the stewards and the Del Mar mutuels department, Modern Games was reinserted into the pari-mutuel wagering pools at 17:37:01 PT.

“At 17:43:49 PT, after it was made clear to the mutuels department that Modern Games was competing for purse money only, the horse was again removed from the wagering pools.

“The race went off at 17:47:34 PT.

“Per CHRB rules, all wagers on #1 Modern Games in the win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, and super high five pools are subject to refund. Daily double and Pick 3 wagers to Modern Games received a consolation payment. Per CHRB rules, in all other multi-leg wagers ending on the 10th race, bettors with tickets including #1 Modern Games and #2 Albahr received the post-time favorite, #3 Dakota Gold, unless they designated an alternate for the race.

“As a result of the review, the CHRB, Del Mar and Breeders' Cup are modifying their injury management communications protocols, so that Dr. Stead will make the final determination with respect to recommended scratches at the starting gate and has sole authority to communicate those recommendations to the stewards.”

The post ‘Miscommunication’: Modern Games Mistakenly Re-Inserted Into Pari-Mutuel Pool For Nearly Seven Minutes After Scratch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Between The Hedges: Getting A Handle On Handle

Horseplayers can wager on as many as 77 different pools during nine-race cards at each of the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) tracks comprising Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

With so many options, a handicapper must decide on which wagers to focus on, negotiating a delicate balance between risk and reward in search of the best possible payout.

Over time, the betting public has settled on their favorite wagers at NYRA tracks. The most popular wagers at NYRA in 2020 – by average handle per pool – were the Empire 6 mandatory payout days [$2.8 million], the Early Pick 5 [$546K], the retail-only Late Pick 5 [$444K], and the Late Pick 4 [$429K].

The mandatory payout days of the Empire 6 ranged from $420K on an abbreviated carryover on February 23 to $6.1 million in Saratoga on August 9.

The Empire 6, a jackpot style wager offered at a $0.20 base, shifted to a daily mandatory payout in January 2021 and was replaced at the current Belmont Park spring/summer meet by a traditional Pick 6: a retail-only wager featuring a $1 base and 15 percent takeout with an opportunity for carryover days.

The success of multi-race wagers has garnered much attention. Twitter users post their plays and share their major scores, entire podcasts are dedicated to studying the sequences, and analysts on America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, spend airtime discussing their tickets for the audience to follow along.

The multi-race wagers offer the best value on the wagering menu and allow fans the best chance to bet a little to win a lot. But these multi-race options represent only four out of the 77 wagers on a nine-race card. In 2020, the Empire 6 mandatory payout days, Early Pick 5, Late Pick 5, and Late Pick 4 only accounted for 15 percent of all handle.

So, what about the other wagers?

By total handle, the most popular NYRA wager is the exacta, which handled 22 percent of all wagers at NYRA in 2020. A close second was the win pool, which handled 21 percent of all wagers, while the trifecta pool finished third with 12 percent of all wagers.

Because of the sheer number of intra-race pools compared to multi-race pools, total intra-race handle exceeds multi-race pools. But the difference between the two is closing over the years.

2020 Average Handle per Pool and Total Number of Pools

While still popular, there have been noticeable drops in the exacta and trifecta pools as a percentage of total wagers. In 2016, intra-race pools comprised 76 percent of total handle. In 2020, that number was 71 percent. With more than $1.8 billion wagered on NYRA races in 2020, that reflects over $90 million of wagers shifted from intra-race to multi-race wagering.

What has caused the change?

Since 2016, the wagering menu has not changed except for the introduction of the Late Pick Five. First limited in the number of days offered, and only offered to customers of NYRA Bets, the pool eventually became a daily fixture open to the public starting in July 2019.

Additionally, the switch from a traditional $2 Pick Six to the $0.20 Empire 6 in August 2019 created mandatory payout carryover days that were more accessible to the average customer. These two new wagers gave bettors additional higher value opportunities on the back end of the card, which formerly was highlighted by the Late Pick 4. Clearly popular, bettors flocked to the new wagers.

The popularity of the Empire 6 and Late Pick 5 has impacted the handle on the Late Pick 4. Looking at the total percentage of NYRA handle since 2016, the Late Pick 4 is the only Pick N wager to lose significant market share in the NYRA wagering menu landscape. By comparison, the Early Pick 4 at the beginning of the race card has stayed consistent even as the Early Pick 5 grows in popularity.

Percentage of Total NYRA Handle – by Year by Pool

The change to a $1 traditional Pick 6 should provide some differentiation in the later portion of the card, and NYRA is looking forward to analyzing how players respond. This Thursday's card at Belmont will feature a Pick 6 carryover of more than $61,000.

An upcoming edition of Between The Hedges will offer a closer look at the $1 traditional Pick 6, which launched on Thursday's Opening Day card at Belmont.

For more information, please visit www.NYRABets.com and send your questions for Between The Hedges to betweenthehedges@nyrainc.com.

The post Between The Hedges: Getting A Handle On Handle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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