Fair Grounds will offer a one-time-only Pick 18 on Friday’s gargantuan
18-race card that kicks off at 12:40 p.m. (CDT) and continues well into the
evening. The bet will carry a 10-cent minimum and there will be no carryover,
meaning the pool will be paid out to those with the most correct winners on
Friday.
“This is not a joke,” Fair Grounds Vice President & General Manager Eric
Halstrom said. “We ended up in a situation where we had to offer 18 races on
Friday and figured we might as well have some fun with it.”
In order to avoid unnecessarily long lines, and to protect the sanity of
mutuel tellers, on track customers will only be able to bet the Pick 18 at
self-service machines.
Friday’s 18-race extravaganza was necessitated by the cancellation of last
Thursday’s racing at Fair Grounds. The races lost that afternoon had to be made
up by the end of the meet, which concludes with a banner Louisiana Derby Day
card on Sunday.
Takeout for the Pick 18 will be 25 percent. Only outlets that use the AmTote
totalisator system will be able to offer the Pick 18 to its customers. Fans are
encouraged to check with their preferred wagering outlet to confirm whether the
bet will be offered.