Grand Slam Bet

[fantini33]

What if during the Saratoga meet I allotted my entire $250-$300 for this play and hammered it. Not to red board but I've been alive 3 times this meet to 5 figure scores cashing in once. I have never been alive to that in a pick 4 and only a handful of times in pick 5's. For the same bankroll.

I didn't hit yesterday but was alive to a 7-1 and a 2-1. I played an $80 Grand Slam.

5) 6
6) 10
7) 1
8) 6 7

$160

5) 5 horse field I had 2nd choice who ran 2nd. King Kranz was off the board at 9/5.

6) No clear favorite. I had 2nd choice at 7/2 who won. A longshot hit the board.

7) Played a 6-1 that would be charging late, the type that "hit the board" in a race with no clear favorite. This horse should have won, ended up 2nd, but that's cool. I believe the other board hitters were both 4-1.

I have done nothing remarkable here.

8) I'm alive to the 6, 7-1, for $8600
I'm alive to the 7, 2-1, for $4000

I lose.

[fantini33]

The important thing in any sequence is getting yourself "live" in the payout leg. Keep getting "live" and you will hit your share. The Grand Slam is a MUCH easier bet to end up "live". Yesterdays example is a solid one and there have been hits for less and losses for more on similar type examples. I don't think I would pursue this bet on a Thursday at Aqueduct but when the fields are a touch deeper this is a nice play in my opinion.

It may be that there is a lot of novice type chalky $2 action that feeds into the pools. While the payoffs at 1st glance do not seem to astound (a will pay of $45 on a $1 bet doesn't exactly get the heart racing.) The truth is that its 45-1! These sequences do not need to be played like a pick 4. Bigger amounts going 1x1x1x2 or something like that, keeping in your general budget, and the payoffs become juicy.

I would strongly encourage trying this bet any day, but especially on one when your opinion in the feature is strong and/or you don't like a favorite in the prior 3.