Churchill Increases Minimum Guarantees on Derby-Oaks Pick Four Wagers

Edited from Churchill Downs reports
Churchill Downs announced Thursday that it will again offer racing a pair of lucrative all-stakes Pick Four wagers with large guaranteed minimum betting pools during its Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Kentucky Oaks Day (gr. I) racing cards April 30-May 1.

The Kentucky Derby Day "All Stakes Pick Four" will carry a guaranteed mutuel pool of $1 million, up from the $750,000 guaranteed pool offered on last year's Derby Day wager. The 2004 Kentucky Oaks "All Stakes Pick Four" will carry a minimum pool of $500,000, which doubles last year's $250,000 Oaks Day guarantee.

Both guaranteed multi-race wagers consist entirely of graded stakes races, and the four races that comprise the Derby Day Pick four include three grade I events. The rosters of the wagers include:

Kentucky Oaks $500,000 Guaranteed Pick Four (Races 7-10), April 30
--$100,000-added Aegon Turf Sprint (gr. III)
--$300,000-added Louisville Breeders' Cup (gr. II)
--$100,000-added Crown Royal American Turf (gr. IIIT)
--$500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (gr. I)

Kentucky Derby $1 Million Guaranteed Pick Four (Races 7-10), May 1
--$100,000-added Argent Mortgage Turf Mile (gr. III)
--$250,000-added Humana Distaff (gr. I)
--$400,000-added Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT)
--$1 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby (gr. I)

"We are always looking for exciting new products for our fans at Churchill Downs and throughout the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network," said Jim Gates, acting general manager and vice president of administration. "The guaranteed Pick Four wagers on Derby and Oaks Days were very warmly received last year and we anticipate further growth this year as some of the brightest stars in American racing are pointing for these stakes events. In addition, both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks appear certain to attract large and very competitive fields, which brings even more value to the All Stakes Pick Four wagers on those special days."