Quinella Irregularity at Gulfstream Causes Cancellation of the Wager
Tuesday, November 15, 2022

    HALLANDALE BEACH -1/ST Racing and Gaming is aware of an irregularity in the betting pool for the Quinella on the first race on Nov. 11 at Gulfstream Park.  The account from which this wager was played has been identified and that account has been closed.  Our team is working with the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (TRPB) and other agencies to investigate the full impact of the manipulation of the pool, which appears to involve offshore betting sites. 

    “Integrity and safety are the two cornerstones of 1/ST’s foundation, and we are continuing to thoroughly review all actions associated with this incident,” said Aidan Butler, CEO of 1/ST Racing and Gaming. “Ensuring the protection of our stakeholders, including the important constituency who wager on our races, is of paramount importance.”

    “TRPB’s Wagering Integrity Unit is assisting the investigation into the betting,” said Curtis Linnell, Executive Vice President of the TRBP.  “There is no indication at this time of malfeasance by any participants in the race itself.” 

    Pari-Mutuel pools are, by their very nature, self-correcting as parties effectively wager against each other with the racing association taking the identical commission percentage on the bets regardless of the odds.  The odds are transparent as they are determined by the amount of money bet on an individual interest or, in the case of exotic wagers, on the combination.  Because of the manipulation, the Quinella wager on the race returned a higher price than it traditionally would have paid.

    The Quinella wager is a marginal bet, generating much smaller pools than straight bets and other exotic wagers, thus it can be easier to manipulate.  Most horseplayers traditionally place an Exacta box bet instead of a Quinella – picking the first two finishers in either order.  Gulfstream Park has removed the Quinella from the betting menu effective immediately.

    The $2 exacta in the race paid $18.60 with the favorite and second choice finishing 1-2, but the quinella paid $42.40. While the exacta pools at Gulfstream are mostly in the over $100,000 range, the quinella pools are usually in the $5,000 to $7,000 range. In this one, the quinella pool was an unheard of $24,280. 

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