A Tale Of Two Punters

The old saying that there is a flipside to every coin rang oh so true this past Saturday in regard to Gulfstream Park’s Rainbow Pick-6. The thoroughbred track’s multi-leg exotic wager left at least one handicapper tickled pink, while another punter was handed a crushing defeat which will surely be lamented for at least the foreseeable future.

Don’t be surprised if handicapper Walter Lytwyn adds the stewards from Gulfstream Park to his Christmas card list.

After all, it was the stewards’ disqualification of the eventual winner, Collinito, in last Saturday’s final leg of Gulfstream’s Pick-6 wager that earned Lytwyn an incredible pari-mutuel windfall. Runner-up Strategic Keeper, who the stewards felt was interfered with by Collinito in the stretch, was awarded the win thus completing Lytwyn’s magical ticket. The 39-1 upsetter will be a horse Lytwyn will remember for a lifetime.

Lytwyn, a Hamilton, Ont. resident who is a regular patron at Flamboro Downs, invested $72 to play the Pick-6 and he was rewarded with a sensational sum of $183,296.15 for his astute handicapping.

According to an article in the Washington Post by respected thoroughbred handicapper Andrew Beyer, the flipside of the story is that of an unidentified punter who lost out on a $1.66-million payday due to the judges’ ruling.

Beyer’s Washington Post article explains that the unknown punter had correctly handicapped the first five legs of the wager and had Collinito, the horse that initially won the race yet was placed back, in the final leg.

The Rainbow Six is a wager that requires punters to select the winners of six races, and then only pays off the entire pool (including the carryover) if one single .20 cent ticket is sold. If multiple tickets are sold, the consolation is available. Lytwyn's win came by picking up the consolation payout. Unlike the disqualified horseplayer, he did not have the sole ticket and based on the amount he won, Lytwyn captured the consolation five times (or the equivalent of a $1 base wager). Because others had the same combination as Lytwyn, he would not have been eligible for the carryover regardless of his base bet.

(With files from the Washington Post)