Mandatory payouts slated for Closing Day Monday at Saratoga

Monday’s Closing Day card at Saratoga Race Course will be bolstered by a mandatory payout of the Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $793,567.46 heading into the 11-race Labor Day finale.

 The lucrative card will be an attractive one for bettors, with mandatory payouts slated for the Early and Late Pick 5 as well as the Empire 6, which features a $0.20 bet minimum paired with a 20 percent takeout and has provided horseplayers with consistently large payouts since it was added to the wagering menu on August 7.

The Empire 6 will start with Race 6 at 3:15 p.m. Eastern and feature two prestigious stakes, including the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch in Race 9 and the final Grade 1 of the meet with the $350,000 Runhappy Hopeful for juveniles in Race 10.

 The Early Pick 5 will commence with the first race at 12:30 p.m. and the late Pick 5 will start with Race 8 at 4:29 p.m.

The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100% of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75% of the day's net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

 Pending approval from the New York State Gaming Commission, the Empire 6 will resume when live racing commences at Belmont Park for the fall meet on Opening Day, Friday, September 6.