Mahoning Valley Pick 5s are paying well through 1st week

When it comes to generating interest in a track’s wagering product, nothing is as reliable as a low-takeout, multi-race wager.

Mahoning Valley already was doing 15% takeout on its Pick 3s, 4s and 5s, but the northeast Ohio track offered only one $1 Pick 5 and one 50-cent Pick 4 a day to go with its rolling Pick 3s. That changed when the Penn National-owned track opened last Monday with the addition of a 50-cent late Pick 5. The early Pick 5 also had its minimum changed to 50 cents.

Bettors have responded favorably, generating an average of $10,216 in handle on the bet, which is new to Mahoning Valley. The early Pick 5 has been more popular overall. The average pool for the wager through five days and 10 sequences was $14,336.

More important for bettors, though, is that the average premium in the Pick 5 payout vs. the corresponding parlay is 149%, meaning the Pick 5 is paying nearly 1 1/2 times what the win parlay would on the same races, and every Pick 5 paid more than the parlay. There was no Wednesday late payoff, because nobody picked five.

The Pick 5s are not the only generous payoffs at Mahoning Valley. Favorites are winning at a less than 40% clip, buoying not only other exotic payouts but also the straight win price of a generous $12.33 across 43 races so far.

Mahoning Valley races Monday-Thursday. Coverage of its meet at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a marketing partnership with the track.