"The Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion is one of the largest cash giveaways in any sport and the biggest for racing," said Bryan Pettigrew, special assistant to NTRA commissioner Tim Smith. "We're optimistic that the promotion will bring fans to the tracks and hope that we will have a $1-million winner."
In what is being billed as the “largest direct-mail campaign for racing,” mutuel vouchers have been sent to more than one million fans across the U.S. The vouchers, part of the “Mystery Mutuel Voucher” promotion are redeemable for cash prizes ranging from $2.00 to $1-million. According to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which is sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) in conjunction with 24 participating tracks and OTB outlets, vouchers worth nearly $3.7 million are in circulation, including a single ticket valued at $1-million. Fans who receive the vouchers must cash them at their local track or OTB on Sunday, Aug. 6. The redemption date coincides with the $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Racecourse, the final race in the "NTRA Champions on FOX" racing series, the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park; and the $560,000 Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park. The MMV brochures are customized for the participating racetracks' markets and include the tracks' logos and general race-day information.