The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the Empire 6 wager will offer a daily mandatory payout in the month of January commencing with Friday’s New Year’s Day card at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Featuring a $0.20 bet minimum and 20 percent takeout, the Empire 6 wager requires bettors to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. The full pool, minus takeout, will be distributed to bettors who select the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races on the card.
“Our loyal community of horseplayers has continually expressed interest and support for wagers that reward the daily player with the opportunity for impressive payouts,” said Joe Longo, NYRA Director of Simulcasting. “This pilot program is designed to be responsive to those sentiments while helping NYRA to determine the future of the Empire 6.”
Aqueduct will offer 19 racing dates in January with live racing generally conducted Thursday through Sunday, with the addition of a special Monday card on January 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The first mandatory payout Empire 6 will feature on Friday’s New Year’s Day card at the Big A which is highlighted by the 151st renewal of the $150,000 Jerome, a one-turn mile for sophomores offering 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers. First post on the nine-race card is 12:20 p.m. Eastern, with the Empire 6 set to kick off in Race 4 at 1:50 p.m.
The Empire 6 was launched in August 2019 with a jackpot provision in which the full pool would be paid out only to a single ticket selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, otherwise 75 percent of the day’s net pool would be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races with the remainder added into a jackpot and carried to the next day’s Empire 6.
Thursday’s year-end Big A card will feature mandatory payouts of the Empire 6, Early Pick 5 and Late Pick 5 wagers, in accordance with New York State Gaming Commission rules. The Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $183,471, begins in Race 3 at 1:46 p.m. Eastern. First post on Thursday’s eight-race card is 12:50 p.m.
For more information, please visit NYRABets.com.
