Assiniboia Downs decided to celebrate Monday’s Manitoba Derby Day by offering a $1 million guaranteed payout to any single bettor holding a winning ticket on the Jackpot Pick 5.
The payout goes to the holder of a unique winning ticket. Meanwhile, that Canadian track located outside of Winnipeg, announced a mandatory payout of its Jackpot Pick 5 pool for today’s Derby Day card. That pool currently sits at $327,526.
Should more than one person hit this Pick 5, all winners will share in that pool.
This is a sizable payout for the Manitoba track, which runs Thoroughbred races from May to mid-September. Monday’s Manitoba Derby is the track’s marquee race. This year’s edition sends 12, 3-year-olds the customary 1 1/8 miles on Assiniboia Downs’ dirt track.
Myopic sees his way to favorite status
The morning-line favorite is Myopic (8/5), trained by Robertino Diodoro. He broke his maiden by six lengths June 23 at Indiana Downs, clocking a field-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Diodoro is Myopic’s third trainer after Bob Baffert and Rodolphe Brisset, who oversaw his maiden-breaking victory.
“We really wanted to make a big bang this year with the Derby,†track CEO Darren Dunn said in a statement. “And what better way to do that than with an unprecedented $1 milliion guarantee for a player with a single winning ticket.â€
The Pick 5 starts with Assiniboia Downs’ fourth race, a 5 ½-furlong claiming race. Post time for that race is 9:05 p.m. CT. The Manitoba Derby is the seventh of eight races on the track’s Monday card. Post time is 10:35 p.m. CT.
Assiniboia Downs putting its Pick 5 front and center
This Pick 5 wager figures to get plenty of action, not only because of the $1 million pot of gold, but because of its 20-cent minimum. That’s similar to what Del Mar did with its Pick 6 this year.
Going forward, the track will seed a $250,000, single-winner guaranteed payout every race day through the end of the meet on Sept. 15, or until it’s claimed. Assiniboia Downs races Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
“This offer will certainly stand out during our weekday racing schedule and add some real value for fans,†Dunn said.