Del Mar’s betting menu for its upcoming 11th fall season projects a virtual mirror image to the one it presented in 2023, with one adjustment to the daily payout on the Pick Six that replaced the previous “single-ticket jackpot” arrangement which had been in place for several meets.
The new/old “Classic Pick Six” will once more be available for $1. This go-round it will provide a daily payout of 80% of the pool to those who tab all six of the final winners on the card, while giving a 20% “consolation” to those who pick five of six. Previously, the breakdown for the payouts was 70/30. In the scenario where nobody picks six winners, there will be a carryover of the major portion of the pool to the next betting program. In the past, even single-day carryovers have led to subsequent pools that move into the million-dollar range.
The shore track’s 16-day fall session, dubbed the “Bing Crosby Season” in honor of its iconic founder, will open on Thursday, October 31 and run until Sunday, December 1. For the third time during the stand Del Mar will host the two-day championship event known as the Breeders’ Cup, this one on November 1 and November 2.
In all, there will be 15 different ways to invest in the track’s daily programs starting with win, place and show bets and extending out to a series of exotic wagers topped by the Classic Pick Six during the five-week outing.
“The folks seemed to like our betting arrangement last year, especially the Pick Six,” said Bill Navarro, Del Mar’s director of mutuels. “We made a slight adjustment to the Pick Six to give the big winners a further reward for their hard work, but otherwise we’re going the same way we did last fall.”
Besides the Pick Six, the bets that draws the most buzz from the racing crowd are the Late Pick 5 (with its average pool over $700,000) and the late Pick 4 (average pool of approximately $600,000). Both wagers are natural spinoffs for Pick Six players.
Here’s the full array of Del Mar bets that will be available during the assembly: $2 Win, Place and Show (all races); $1 Exacta (all); $2 Quinella (all); $2 Rolling Doubles (all except last); 50-cent Trifecta (all); $1 Rolling Pick 3 (all except last two); $1 Superfecta (10-cent minimum – all); $1 Place Pick All (starts w/Race 1 or 2); 50-cent Super High 5 (last); $1 Pick Six (last six); 50-cent Players’ Pick 5 (first five and last five); 50-cent Pick 4 (Races 2 thru 5 and last four), and $2 Win-Place-Show Parlay (all races but last).
Following the four-day opening weekend that includes the two Breeders’ Cup days, the track will then settle into a schedule that consists of four three-day weeks – Fridays through Sundays – through to its close on December 1. First post for all racing days will be 12:30 p.m. with eight races planned for weekdays and nine for weekends.