Fixed odds are available for Canterbury turf festival

As part of the Monmouth Bets fixed-odds online launch, the daily markets include not only the eponymous seaside oval but also action from across North America, and intrepid horseplayers willing to venture beyond the Garden State have been rewarded by the offerings at Canterbury Park.

Of the 15 races this past weekend at the Shakopee, Minn., track, 14 (93 percent) had a closing price on BetMakers' MonmouthBets markets that returned more than the pari-mutuel price. This is in stark contrast to the fixed-odds offerings on Delaware Park, however, where six of 24 races (25 percent) last week paid more via tote than the closing price.

"As we add more tracks and races, we’re excited to exhibit the value of fixed odds," BetMakers CEO Jake Henson said. "We’ve shown it at Monmouth Park, but if Canterbury or Delaware are on the list of your favorite tracks, you can now find that value at those locations, too. And we’re in discussions with more content partners across North America to continue that drive to improve the racing ecosystem overall, where fixed odds and parimutuel can both thrive and foster a more sustainable future for racing."

Fixed odds are available on all nine races Wednesday night at Canterbury, which plays host to its annual Northern Stars Turf Festival with a six-pack of stakes led by the Canterbury Derby as race 8. First post is 6:07 p.m. EDT.

Those familiar with my fair odds on the marquee race know that I'm keen on No. 3 Golden Bandit, and seeing that he opened at 10-1 on BetMakers has me vacillating between excitement at the tote price and wondering who I know in New Jersey to "get down."

For those who are in New Jersey, the last of 9 races features a $50 bonus opportunity if your win bet finishes second. In these situations, I give more weight to a more likely winner, but not in this spot because I think #6 will be greatly overbet. I'd use the bonus on #3 but either #s 1 or 4 are alternatives as well.