The Rainbow 6 costs only 20 cents per bet, but those dimes added up Saturday: A total of $10,782,375 was plunked down into a pool that had already accrued more than $4.5 million.
It was part of North American Pick 6 wagering records set Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. The Rainbow 6 jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners — except for Saturday, when, with the racing season ending, there was a mandatory payout.
Saturday, there wasn’t one unique winner. There were 147, so they each split the pool, taking home $89,456.54 each.
(Note to horse racing purists: I know my headline is an exaggeration. Most bettors bet multiple combinations — “wheeling” or “boxing” in gambler parlance, so many people easily put down more than $100 in an attempt to get a piece of the pool.)
The total pool of $15,285,707, shattered the Pick 6 pool record of $10,870.852 set at Hollywood Park July 2, 2007, when a three-day carryover of $3.2 million was a stake.
“We’re delighted by the enthusiastic reception to the Rainbow 6 and today’s mandatory payout,” said P.J. Campo, Gulfstream’s Vice President of Racing and General Manager, via a press release. “We want to thank the horsemen for all their support and the bettors for their continued interest in this unique wager. This was the exciting result of a wager that’s only 20 cents. We’re pleased there were so many winners and we look forward to another great afternoon Saturday with the 65th running of what will be an historic $1 million Florida Derby.”
The Rainbow 6 had gone unsolved for 53 consecutive programs since last being hit for $76,799.38 by one bettor on Jan. 13. The largest payoff of the current Championship Meet, which opened Dec. 5, was $262,634.84 on Jan. 7.
The Rainbow 6 produced a record payoff of $6,678,939 for a Palm Beach bettor on May 25, 2014, breaking the previous mark of $3,591,245.44 set by a New Jersey bettor on Feb. 22, 2013.
The Rainbow 6 starts anew on Sunday’s 10-race program on Races 5-10.
[vc_message message_box_style=”3d” message_box_color=”turquoise”]By Nick Sortal, SouthFloridaGambling.com, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Mar. 27, 2016
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