50¢ Pick Five with Lowest Takeout Rate in the Country Headlines New Wagering Menu at Calder in 2011
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (April 13, 2011) – In preparation for its 40th Anniversary Celebration Season, Calder Casino & Race Course officials have announced the wagering menu for the Calder and Tropical meets in 2011, highlighted by the nationally-popular Pick 5 wager with an industry-low takeout rate of 12%. Calder’s season opener is April 25.
“Calder’s new wagering format builds a crescendo heading into the last five races of the card with a hallmark Pick 5 rolling into Pick 4, Pick 3, and late double wagering,” said Calder Vice President and General Manager John Marshall . “Most exciting is the debut of Calder’s Pick 5, today’s betting sensation, priced 20% less than any other track in the country.
“Insights from the Horseplayers Association of America (HANA) were valuable in the decision to price Calder’s Pick 5 better than the rest,” Marshall continued. “The result is an exciting wagering opportunity at an industry best takeout of 12 percent. We appreciate working with HANA leadership on innovations bringing enthusiasm to our product and look forward to future dialog.”
Calder’s Pick 5 will be a 50¢ minimum wager. The pool will be apportioned with a Jackpot Carryover (or ‘Major Pool’) and a Minor Pool, meaning that if no one correctly selects the five official winners, 75% of the pool will carry over to the next race day and 25% of the pool will be distributed to those who selected the first place finisher in the second greatest number of Pick 5 races, thus creating the possibility of large carryovers.
On each live racing day, Calder will offer:
* Win, Place, Show, Exactas, Trifectas, and Superfectas on all races;
* Daily Doubles on the first two races and the last two races;
* Rolling Pick 3s starting with the first race;
* A Pick 4 on the last four races;
* A Pick 5 on the last five races each day – with an industry-low takeout of 12%.
All wagers are a $1 minimum, except:
* 10¢ minimum on Superfectas
* 50¢ minimum on Trifectas, Pick 4, and Pick 5
Calder continues offering valuable handicapping information via its web site and closed-circuit television simulcast show. Nationally-renowned handicapper Toby Callet ’s “Calder Key Plays” and “Pedigree Profiles” of 2 year olds, and Anthony Schweiker ’s “Anthony’s Picks” are all available for free on www.calderracecourse.com. Schweiker and track announcer Bobby Neuman also host the popular “Calder Today” TV show that airs at 11:30 a.m. on live race days.
In March, Calder converted its tote system to United Tote (a Churchill Downs Company) and introduced the latest self-service terminal technology to the local marketplace. Bettors at Calder during the ‘simulcast season’ have enjoyed using these state-of-the-art machines. The F-Series terminal enhances the wagering experience for guests, including a Power Tool feature that brings up a matrix of all exacta combinations of runners that are available to bet on, with current-pool payouts for each. The Versa terminal has supported wagering at the Kentucky Derby for 16 years. Its dependability, speed, and ease of use make it a favorite with mutuel tellers and players alike.
Calder will have a new first race post time this year, starting each race day at 12:30 p.m. Calder hosts two consecutive meets: the 101-day Calder Meet from April 25 to Sept. 30; and the 45-day Tropical Meet from Oct. 1 to Dec. 2, 2011. The Calder Meet offers 34 stakes worth $3,550,000 and the Tropical Meet will feature 21 stakes totaling $2,675,000 for a combined stakes program worth $6,225,000.
A high level of quality stakes action at Calder has been validated again and again by world champion and Eclipse Award contenders and winners. Performances from horses like Big Drama, Awesome Feather, Tackleberry, and Dubai Majesty are recent examples of Calder success stories. We invite fans to join in another exciting year of Thoroughbred racing action at Calder!
Calder Casino & Race Course, located on South Florida’s Miami-Dade / Broward county line, offers gaming action with over 1,200 slot machines in the Calder Casino, Thoroughbred horse racing during two consecutive meets, year-round simulcasting, and live poker games in Studz Poker Club. Calder is a wholly owned property of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN). Information about Calder Casino & Race Course can be found on the Internet at www.calderracecourse.com and www.caldercasino.com.
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7 comments:
How long can racing continue to try and fix it's many problems with reduced takeout P-5's, 10 cent jackpot P-6's and guaranteed P-4 pools?
Another half-arsed attempt at a good P.R. move before the meet.
The spot players are the "real" customers. They are the specialists. Not the micro-bettors.
A long term solution would be to slash to 10% wps and 12% exactas and trifectas. That would really cause the little old ladies to be knocked over enroute to the mutuel windows.
Which track has the guts to do it - and stick with it for a 5 year program? For the world is theirs.
When will they learn?
We need new players. Not lottery players -- horseplayers. New fans should be encouraged to handicap as fans did in the old days when racing enjoyed its greatest popularity. But there must be a reward for the for the newcomer for the neophyte. This means cashing some tickets and the gratification that goes along with it.
That means betting into WPS pools where they get a more consistent the buzz which accompanies cashing tickets -- not just the occasional good feeling of hitting Pick 4's and other seldom cashable tickets.
Thus the lowered takeout should be directed to the WPS pools where both the Old Guard and newcomers are both attracted.
I quit betting Calder years ago because of the high takeout levels.
A 15% WPS takeout plus changing to night-time races could would turn things around for this track that has never quite found its identity.
12% takeout with 50 Cent minimums is great news even if it is limited to pick 5's.
It's a very positive move in the right direction. I hope other tracks, particularly NYRA , will follow suit.
Until they do I will switch most of my betting to Calder.
I'd really like to see pick 3's and 4's in particular also at 12%.
Good news for EXISTING horseplayers; how will this register with Joe and Jane on main street and the 1,200 slot players sitting comatose in the room next door and at casinos coast-to-coast?
Are these slot players aware of racing's gambling options and what a buck can accomplish?
Seems to me that HANA should be pushing priority number one: a national marketing program informing people that gambling on the horses is superior to all other gambling venues.
At the moment Calder's name clearly indicates how important racing is to them: Calder Casino and Racetrack. Reducing takeout certainly helps bettors, but it is not the reason racing is tanking. People simply wish to gamble elsewhere, primarily because they are uninformed about Thoroughbred racing.
Wmcorrow,
We have done what you offer when we can. We supported this initiative in Ontario with a press release and offer to help. Unfortunately it was rejected by the horsemen groups.
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/9-26-10/hana-announces-full-support-rdsp.html
If there is any group out there who wishes to be a part of a similar venture, please ask for our help. Our members are all for it.
HANA
If I was managing a Track I'd bring the Pk5 takeout down to 5%.This of course would bring alot of gamblers to their track and the handle would increase dramatically in all other races.
Baby steps I guess.
With Slots,NY has the best opportunity to do this.
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