Santa Anita Park, with the approval of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, will reduce the takeout on its Daily Double wager to 18% during the upcoming season, and will offer the bet three times daily.
The track also announced it will offer a guaranteed $500,000 pool for the Late Pick Four wager on its opening day nine-race card Dec. 26.
The Daily Double was first introduced at Santa Anita in 1961, one of the first so-called "exotic" wagers requiring bettors to pick consecutive winners on the first and second races daily. The minimum $2 bet later became a "rolling double" available on all races. Santa Anita’s new Daily Double will be offered each day on three separate occasions—on races one and two; four and five; and on the final two races.
"After consulting with many of our best customers and the TOC, we felt it was time to make some ‘player-friendly’ adjustments to this iconic wager,” said Tom Ludt, Santa Anita senior vice president for racing and gaming, in a statement released by the track. "Lowering the takeout to 18% is obviously something that everyone is in favor of. Additionally, by offering three Doubles per day, we’re confident we’re going to see a significant increase in pool sizes and that is going to result in bigger payoffs—which is why the vast majority of our customers come out to the races."
The guaranteed pool for the Late Pick 4 on opening day will be comprised of the final four races. The Pick 4, which is also offered each day on races two, three, four and five, is a 50-cent minimum wager that requires players to select the winner of each race in the sequence.
Santa Anita’s wagering menu will again include the "Players’ Pick 5," a popular 14% takeout wager with a 50-cent minimum. The bet requires players to select the winners of the first five races on each day’s card.
The $2 Pick Six, first offered at Santa Anita in 1980, remains one of the most popular exotic wagers in the country and will again be offered on the final six races each day.
Santa Anita will again offer $1 exactas, trifectas, and superfectas on each race and will offer rolling Pick Three wagers throughout each day’s card.
All win, place and show wagers feature a 15.43% takeout, which is one of the nation’s lowest, with a $2 minimum investment.
