Sharps jockey for Rainbow Pick 6 prize

If you asked 100 horseplayers in Las Vegas for their philosophy of betting, you may get nearly as many answers. But I think one thing in common might be trying to bet a little to win a lot.

I mention this because the 10-cent Rainbow Pick 6 carryover at Gulfstream Park has grown to more than $2.4 million. To win the entire pool, a bettor must have the only winning ticket. It’s a near impossibility now with more than $500,000 bet into the pick 6 daily.

A 10-cent minimum allows players an enormous amount of coverage over six races. Every long shot is included on somebody’s ticket so the odds of a unique winner drop as the Pick 6 handle grows.

In most Pick 6 carryover pools, especially with a $2 minimum, large betting syndicates hold a big advantage because they have the bankroll to support expensive spread tickets. Small players get squeezed out.

Now the shoe may be on the other foot. Syndicates trying to plot a unique ticket must include nearly every long shot. Playing all of these long shots adds what is called “dead” money into the pool. Also, syndicates’ tickets will now have a lot of duplication, making a unique winner even harder to do.

Smaller players, realistic enough to know a unique ticket is beyond their reach, can still focus on trying to pick six winners. If they can, they’ll get rewarded with an overlaid price.

A ticket using two horses in each leg costs a measly $6.40. Go three deep and the ticket grows to $72.90. Most small players can afford a ticket somewhere in between. It’s a rare opportunity now to bet a small amount with a chance of winning a potentially big payoff.

■ HORSEPLAYER WORLD SERIES — The Horseplayer World Series at The Orleans runs from Feb. 21 to 23. The entry fee is $1,000 and first place will pay at least $300,000. Last year there were 681 players so you’ll know your natural odds are of winning going in.

■ KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURES — If you shopped locally for price in Kentucky Derby future bets Sunday, you could’ve gained some value. These four horses offered the biggest odds difference between the Churchill Downs pool 1 and at Wynn Las Vegas: Capo Bastone, CD 58-1, Wynn 35-1; Oxbow, CD 26-1, Wynn 45-1; Super Ninety Nine, CD 47-1, Wynn 100-1; Uncaptured, CD 40-1, Wynn 16-1.

■ RACHEL ALEXANDRA SURGERY — 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra is recovering from surgery stemming from complications following the birth of a filly by Bernardini. She had “bruising in her small colon,” according to the Stonestreet Farm website. Alex Riddle of Rood & Riddle Hospital told HRTV that the section was removed and her small colon reattached. She is listed in serious condition.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick.