What would you do with a $10,000 SPA bankroll?

[PatCummings]

Betting strategy question...

You are given $10,000 to bet at Saratoga in an attempt to make money for 200 people who are lucky enough to be a part of it.

Would you ever bet $100 to win on a 5-2 shot?

Would you make bets that attempt to make meaningful money for the lucky recipients? Or would you make pick four plays that go 3 x 4 x 1 x 3, singling a 1-5 shot in the middle?

I wouldn't, personally, but I'm not in this situation. My opinion, however, is that you should feel obligated to pursue big scores with decent prices in an attempt to gain exponential returns by doubling, tripling, or going even better than that. Thoughts?

[blackthroatedwind]

Let's be fair here, Pat....is this a shot at the Wizard?

At least be up front about it.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

or Dick Powell????

[PatCummings]

Definitely not a shot at the Wizard (big fan of the Wiz, Andy, you know that), and not a shot, per se, at Dick Powell, who does have this challenge in front of him for Cap OTB. I'm asking legitimately - do you attempt to make as much money as you possibly can by attacking tris, supers, pick fours, pick sixes...or do you simply try to get something?

I noticed he was betting $100 to win on a 5-2 shot and a 2-1 shot yesterday (it comes up on my Facebook feed and thought it seemed a little ridiculous).

If you have someone betting a share of $10,000 for you, and you had to share the results with 200 people...would you want said person betting $100 to win on a 2-1 favorite?

Also keep this in mind - if the bettor wins $20,000 - then each person gets $100. Maybe it's just a gift...found money...but you could get some significant returns with a big bankroll, no?

[PatCummings]

I'll add this point...

I've managed big group bets (not $10k big, but still) for the Breeders' Cup and Kentucky Derby before, and told people who were putting money in that the goal was to take chances for big scores. Big exotic bets are the way to do it, and people who are interested in investing should totally expect to lose what they put in...but if they want a chance at an excess return, here it is.

The difference in this situation is that these people in the bankroll challenge are essentially being gifted the money...so should they be grateful for anything they get, or bummed that they are only getting $1.63 each for the $100 win bet on Dehere Of The Cat?

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I'll add this point...

I've managed big group bets for the Breeders' Cup before, and told people who were putting money in that the goal was to take chances for big scores. Big exotic bets are the way to do it, and people who are interested in investing should totally expect to lose what they put in...but if they want a chance at an excess return, here it is.

The difference in this situation is that these people in the bankroll challenge are essentially being gifted the money...so should they be grateful for anything they get, or bummed that they are only getting $1.63 each for the $100 win bet on Dehere Of The Cat?

How does this work? Does the money invested churn until the end of the meet? If not then I see your point.

[jms62]

I would probably play Supers since you can burn up fast in the P6 and P4's just aren't paying what they used to before the 50 cent version. You could play 3x6x6x6 for 180 per pop and have 55 shots at it. With that construction I think you can hit near 15% - 20% of the time.

[Dahoss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A939QRRSNV4

[Siena 16]

The best "players" in this game of Horse Racing are the guys you never see or hear of especially on TV, they are never noticed or heard from and this is coming from someone from Brooklyn who has played the game for 32 years.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Siena 16

The best "players" in this game of Horse Racing are the guys you never see or hear of especially on TV, they are never noticed or heard from and this is coming from someone from Brooklyn who has played the game for 32 years.

Not true.

[Siena 16]

very true Andy. I learned the game from a player who has won 3 million dollars in his lifetime betting horses and if you bumped in to him you would never know it. "you have to do the work" young fella

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Siena 16

very true Andy. I learned the game from a player who has won 3 million dollars in his lifetime betting horses and if you bumped in to him you would never know it. "you have to do the work" young fella

It's a relative myth. There are plenty of successful players that are well known in the racing world.

[Siena 16]

I'm sure there are, It's relative to what decade you were born in. Keep up the good work and continue "to do the work" (R.I.P. Beef) the sprint specialist