Assiniboia Downs had a night like it has never had and perhaps may never have again on Monday, July 6.
With a mandatory payout of the Pick 5 Jackpot and a carryover of over $447,000, management was thinking the pool could go over $1 million for picking the five straight winners.
Not even close.
The pool reached a staggering $2.6 million for the bet as fans worldwide plunged into Pick 5 mania.
The Pick 5 helped boost the night’s handle, on 6 races, to $4,106,601, a number that rivals a big card of racing on a weekend at Woodbine. The previous high for wagering at Assiniboia, which has lured tons of new fans in part because it was one of the first tracks to open and because it has an ideal placement during the week, was $1,853,429, set June 3.
Records have already been broken three times this year at the Downs.
There were a lot of winners of the wager as three odds-on choices won the first three legs, followed by a 10-to-1 shot and a 4-to-1 horse. The payout was $178.73.
Leading rider Antonio Whitehall rode three of the winners and two of those were owned by Henry Witt Jr. and trained by Jerry Gourneau.
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