Between The Hedges: A closer look at the Empire 6

by NYRA Press Office

• Between The Hedges: A closer look at the Empire 6
• Bi-weekly stat pack
• The Big Ticket: Empire 6 returns $43,371.20
• A look back…a look ahead
• NYRA Bets upcoming promotions

The following is the second edition of a bi-weekly series entitled Between The Hedges. The series will revolve around the business of betting focusing on trending wagering topics and statistics. Each installment will include a column penned by Joe Longo, NYRA General Manager of Content Services, examining certain areas of interest within the landscape of the thoroughbred racing industry. Upcoming topics will include a look at minus pools, post times, purse distribution and coupled entries. Send your questions for Between The Hedges to [email protected].

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The multitude of jackpot style wagers offered by racetracks across North America is a frequent talking point for horseplayers. NYRA’s Empire 6 is no exception.

Informed horse players are sensitive to takeout. With that in mind, NYRA established a daily mandatory payout of the Empire 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack in January as part of a pilot program to further understand the benefits of the wager for both the track and player. The daily mandatory payout was recently extended through February with the pilot project expanded by offering the Empire 6 as a retail-only wager.

The Empire 6 was launched on August 7, 2019, replacing the traditional $2 Pick 6. With a $0.20 minimum and 20 percent takeout, the Empire 6 included a jackpot provision in which the full pool would be paid out only to a single ticket selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, otherwise 75 percent of the day's net pool would be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races with the remainder added into a jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

At the time of the Empire 6 launch, the jackpot-style wager was successful at racetracks around the country and fractional base wagers were increasing in popularity. By lowering the minimum base, it would open the wager to a demographic that may have been priced out by the prohibitive cost of coverage in a $2 Pick 6. Fast forward to December 31, 2020 and the average daily handle on the Empire 6 was up almost 100% over the traditional $2 Pick 6.

The largest Empire 6 mandatory payout pool was on August 9, 2020 with $6,140,421 in new money, as a result of an 18-day carryover period that started with the first day of the Saratoga meet that grew the jackpot to $1,393,463 into the mandatory day. Several other mandatory force out days at Saratoga topped the $5 million mark.  

The jackpot feature is a double-edged sword in that tracks receive a significant amount of new money wagered into the Empire 6 pool on the mandatory payout day, but it also keeps money out of circulation that could be wagered into other pools on the days leading up to the force out. NYRA has experimented with different mandatory force-out schedules ranging from over a month to every other week.

In addition, we also looked at forcing out the pool on marquee days versus regular days. On marquee days there are more eyes on the product and more people playing so the multiplier should be significant, but it does raise the concern of what effect the jackpot wager has on NYRA’s other pools.

Tying up several million dollars for six races that likely include major stakes will certainly impact the pools, but will players be more likely to bet those races in different pools having handicapped them already? Or, should NYRA shift the mandatory payout to a nondescript Sunday in hope of doubling that day’s handle? These are the types of questions we ask ourselves when formulating a schedule. 

The Empire 6 experiment for the month of January proved to be successful.

Total handle on the Empire 6 was $1,942,010 for 18 race dates in January compared to $1,361,819 over 17 race dates in January 2020, an increase of $580,192 or 43 percent. Some of this increase was driven by the additional race day, but the daily average handle was up 35 percent.

Thus far, the pilot program has demonstrated that bettors at the Aqueduct winter meet will support a daily mandatory payout of the Empire 6.  

For more information on the Empire 6, visit www.nyrabets.com. 

Send your questions for Between The Hedges to [email protected].

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Bi-weekly stat pack

The bi-weekly stat pack provides a snapshot of who's hot over the past two weeks at the Big A versus year-to-date, including Top Trainer by ROI; Top Jockey by ROI; and Top Jockey and Trainer Combination by wins.

Also featured in this report is a listing of the highest mutuel payouts of the past two weeks versus year-to-date, as well as a look at NYRA's bi-weekly handle, including average field size; number of race days; and daily average handle.

Over the past two weeks [Jan. 30 - Feb. 14], the prolific combo of jockey Eric Cancel and trainer Linda Rice won six of 16 starts with an ROI of $2.49. Cancel won 16-of-69 starts over the relevant period and is now in second position in the jockey standings [44 wins] at the Big A winter meet behind Kendrick Carmouche [53 wins]. 

Apprentice rider Luis Cardenas and trainer James Bond combined to win 3-of-7 starts over the relevant period with a lofty ROI of $5.44. Leading the charge for Cardenas and Bond was Somebody [$18.20], who earned a 101 E-Speed Figure for a February 4 allowance win off the layoff.

Jockey Pablo Morales is flying under the radar with six wins from 40 starts over the relevant period, good for a colony best $4.44 ROI.

For a closer look at the bi-weekly stat pack, please click this link.

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The Big Ticket: Empire 6 returns $43,371.20

On Friday, February 5, the Empire 6, a retail-only wager featuring a $0.20 bet minimum and mandatory daily payout, returned $43,371.20 when a single ticket of 2,4,5,7/1,3,5-7/1,4,5/1-6/2-6,8/1,2,4,7 worth $1,728 took down the entire pool.

The difficult sequence, conducted over a main track rated good, saw Liam's Fire [No. 4, $17.40] prevail in the first leg as the 7-1 longest shot in a four-horse field. With Katie Davis up, Liam's Fire dueled the favored Unrelenting Force and battled gamely to the wire to win the seven-furlong claiming sprint.

Vitanza [No. 7, $13.60] nosed out 4-1 shot Tiny Magoo to win the second leg with Luis Cardenas up for H. James Bond in a maiden claiming tilt that featured eight entrants.

In the third leg, Gone Glimmering [No. 5, $9] opened up a four-length lead at the stretch call en route to a 1 1/4-length score under Eric Cancel for trainer Linda Rice in a one-mile optional-claiming event.

The John Terranova-trained Bank Sting [No. 1, $3.60] prevailed over 11-1 Moon Sweeper as the only winning favorite in the sequence. Kendrick Carmouche led the gate-to-wire charge in the seven-furlong maiden special weight for state-breds 4-year-olds and up.

The wager imploded in the penultimate leg when 36-1 Possetizzly [No. 5, $75] rallied for a neck score as the longest shot in the field over 4-1 Kaz's Beach in a seven-furlong allowance sprint. Pablo Morales engineered the upset for owner-trainer Ralph D'Alessandro. The winning ticket excluded just two horses in this race - Jack Bo [No. 1], who finished seventh and Hold My Call [No. 7], who had the lead at the stretch call and was collared inside the final 70 yards and settled for third.

The winning punter endured a nail biter in the finale as Mani Pedi [No. 2, $15.80] closed out the sequence with a three-quarter length score over the uncovered Gringotts [No. 8] in a one-turn claiming mile for older fillies and mares. Luis Rodriguez Castro had the call for trainer Randi Persaud.

The difficult set of races also saw a $41,315 payout for the Late Pick 5, which featured three winning tickets. Of the three winning Late Pick 5 tickets, the most efficient was a $216 wager of 1,2,6,7/2,4,5/1,3,6/2,4,5/1-3,7.

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A look back…a look ahead

Nicky the Vest matched his career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure in a dominant 11 3/4-length score in Sunday's $100,000 Gander, a one-turn mile for New York-bred sophomores.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas for owner Robert V. LaPenta, Nicky the Vest could make his next start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham going one mile on March 6 at Aqueduct in a race that offers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top-four finishers towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. Read the recap here: https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/news/nicky-the-vest-better-than-the-rest-in-open-length-gander-victory

My Boy Tate rallied from last to best a compact four-horse field in the $100,000 Hollie Hughes, a six-furlong sprint for state-breds 4-years-old and up on Presidents Day at the Big A. Read the full recap here: https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/news/my-boy-tate-prevails-in-hollie-hughes.

Next Saturday at the Big A will see New York-bred sophomore fillies take center stage in the $100,000 Maddie May. Read the advance here: https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/news/brattle-house-faces-deep-field-in-$100k-maddie-may

For FREE TimeformUS analysis and selections for races from Aqueduct Racetrack, visit: https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/timeformus/.

FREE daily NYRA selections are available from analysts Andy Serling and Anthony Stabile. Watch Serling and Stabile discuss the card each live race day from The Big A on Talking Horses: https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/talking-horses/.

Check out NYRA Notes for insights into recent races and the inside scoop on contenders for upcoming events with quotes from the connections: https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/news/notes. 

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NYRA Bets promotions

A number of special promotions are available to NYRA Bets customers.

On February 20 and 27, a $100 Late Pick 4 Bonus is offered to customers who bet the Late Pick 4 at both Aqueduct and Oaklawn Park. If both tickets are successful, the players earns an additional $100.

The customer must bet a Late Pick 4 on each qualifying pool to qualify. Wagers placed by phone with a live operator are not valid for the promotion bonus. The bonus is capped at $100 per player per day. 

Next Saturday is highlighted by the $20 million Saudi Cup featuring Charlatan and Knicks Go from King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh.

Players that bet $25 to win on one horse in the Saudi Cup at Riyadh on the NYRA Bets App will earn a $20 Saudi Cup bonus if their ticket hits. The customer must bet a $25 win bet on one horse on the NYRA Bets App to qualify. Wagers placed on the NYRA Bets mobile site, desktop site or by phone with a live operator are not valid for the promotion bonus. This bonus is capped at $20 per player per day. 

To learn more, visit https://www.nyrabets.com/#promo-calendar.