Grand Slam Bet

[JolyB]

Originally Posted by fantini33

I have found the Grand Slam bet at the NYRA tracks to be a hidden gem and a healthy alternative to addictively playing Pick 4's and some pick 5's. I thought with this being an off day I thought it would be an excellent time to drop this note and throw out my ideas.

For those they may be unaware of exactly what the Grand Slam bet is I will briefly explain. It is a multi race wager that ends with the feature every day, typically the race before the nightcap. It begins 3 races prior to create a 4 race sequence. In the 1st three legs your horse only need to hit the board, while in the feature you must select the winner. You can play it like any sequence, singling or using a few runners if you want, with the cost calculated out the same way you would play a pick 3, 4, 5 etc. You can have multiple horses within a single race move through the 1st 3 legs if you are so fortunate.

fantini, I have been intrigued by the Grand Slam because of a player's ability to hit it multiple times on a single ticket. If two of your picks in the first leg both finish in the top three, then three of your picks in the second leg do the same, and then only one hits the board in the third leg, but you have the winner in the final leg, you have hit the GS a total of 6 times. That can lead to a very nice return on your investment.

The downside is that on some occasions the payoff on the GS is somewhat small, so for it to be profitable you almost have to hit it multiple times.

My ideal GS play is when I have a very strong opinion in the final leg, so that I can spread in the early three legs and then single the final leg, hoping for multiple hits on a winning play in the leg where my opinion is strongest.