by Michael Antoniades, Balmoral Park racing analyst

Crete, IL — A six digit Pick-5 pool brought harness and Thoroughbred players to wager on Balmoral Park on Wednesday night (March 28). When the 10-race card was finished, $1,005,526 had been wagered on the program.

The Wednesday numbers moved the March handle at Balmoral to $13,510,847 for 12 programs, a nightly average of $1,125,903. A total of 132 races were contested for an average race handle of $102,354.

A Wednesday Pick-5 carryover of $13,722 helped bring $87,645 in new Pick-5 money, making the final pool $101,367. Three favorites in the opening three legs helped to produce a lot of winning tickets. The win prices of $3.80, $2.60, $3.00, $7.80 and $11.00 resulted in a 50 cent payout of $131.75, three times the win parlay.

The Balmoral Pick-4 immediately followed with a takeout of 15 percent. A healthy pool of $39,653 was in play on the final four races. The four winning horses paid $14.40, $7.00, $10.80 and $10.00. The Pick-4 payout was a very generous $1,042.20 for a buck. The $1 win parlay would have been $680.40. The Balmoral Pick-4 pools have averaged $41,467 in March with an average $1 payout of $4,271.05.

Balmoral Park offers a guaranteed Pick-4 wager every night with a low 15 percent takeout. The guarantees are $20,000 on Wednesdays and Saturdays in addition to the $25,000 guaranteed pool on Sundays.

Handicappers across North America can get a head start on their competition with free program pages courtesy of the USTA and TrackMaster on the handicapping section at www.ustrotting.com.

My complimentary Players Guide selections for Balmoral Park, as well as racing and gambling news from around the world, are available at www.oddsonracing.com.