Del Mar Thoroughbred Club announced today that it will make special consolation payouts to those who picked five of six winners in its Sunday, December 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.”
Del Mar’s Single Ticket Jackpot Pick Six was different from other “Jackpot” arrangements (like those in Northern California and Florida) in that the seaside track paid consolation prizes all along even as the pool grew over the course of its meeting. The Sunday “mandatory payout” was the first of its kind under the new arrangement where the “no consolations” provision took effect.
Those who had selected five of six winners in the December 4 Pick Six wager and bet it through their ADWs can contact their providers and have the consolation prize credited to their accounts. Those who retained their tickets can bring or mail them to Del Mar to receive payment. Those who made the bet but did not retain their tickets can fill out an affidavit with ticket details. Del Mar has methods of tracking each individual ticket.
It was further noted that because the ARCI rule required that the entire pool be paid as it was, those who had consolations along with a winning Pick Six ticket, or tickets, had already received their consolation prizes in the form of a payout that amounted to approximately $2,030 more than would have been realized had the consolations been paid. Such tickets are not eligible for this special distribution as a result.
Del Mar requests that those who believe they are affected by this situation call the track at a special number that has been set up to deal with the situation. That number is: (858) 794-1019. Those mailing tickets to Del Mar should send them to: DMTC, P.O. Box 700, Del Mar, CA 92014-0700 Attn: Accounting Department. All mailings must be postmarked on or before February 15, 2017 to be valid. Tickets must be presented to Del Mar; satellite locations cannot be used in this circumstance.
Del Mar’s 15-day fall meeting ran from November 11 to December 4.