Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced that it will make special consolation payouts to those who picked five of six winners in its Sunday, Dec. 4 Pick Six wager, wanting to “make it right” for its fans following confusion on how the closing day pool was to be distributed.
Del Mar paid out the entire Pick Six pool to 44 bettors who correctly selected the day's final six winners for a total of $15,660.40 each. This was done as required by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) Rule 004-105G, a rule that had been used at the start of its fall meeting to set up the modified version of the bet that included a Single Ticket Jackpot provision. The rule does not allow for consolation payouts on “mandatory payout” days, which was the case on Sunday.
Because of the confusion caused by application of the ARCI rule, Del Mar has decided to provide a special payment of $81.60 to those with five of six winners. The track's pari-mutuel records show that there were 1,095 tickets with five winners and they would have divided 15% of the net pool, which would have amounted to the sum of $89,352.00, or $81.60 per ticket.
The track has set up a series of options for those who correctly bet five of six winners to access their return according to how they made their bets. They include Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) accounts and actual tickets purchased at Del Mar or through brick and mortar satellites or locations.
“We realize the confusion that existed on closing day and we want to make this right for our valued customers,” said Bill Navarro, Del Mar's director of mutuels. “We not only value our customers, but we also value a sense of fairness. In this case we're going to say to everyone involved that we hear you and understand how you feel that the letter of the law unfairly affected you. There is no better way to do that than to pay those who believed they had a consolation prize coming their way.”
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