How to bet the mandatory-payout carryovers at Del Mar and Louisiana Downs

You’ve probably heard about the $1,874,996 Pick 6 carryover slated for mandatory dispersal on Saturday at Del Mar. But did you know Louisiana Downs also has a mandatory-payout carryover on tap?

Indeed, there’s a $349,763 Pick 5 carryover at Louisiana Downs set to be dispersed among all winning bettors on Saturday. And if most folks are focusing their attention on Del Mar, who knows? Perhaps we can snatch a lucrative portion of the Louisiana Downs carryover for ourselves.

James Scully has explored the Del Mar Pick 6 in detail, assembling a $54 ticket. My take on the sequence is a bit pricier at $72, spreading deep in four of the legs while relying on Going Global to win the Del Mar Oaks (G1) and either Tripoli or Royal Ship to upset favored Express Train in the Pacific Classic (G1):

Del Mar, Race 6, 20-cent Pick 6: 1,2,4,7 with 2,3,6 with 1,2,3 with 3 with 1,4 with 4,5,6,8,11 ($72)

Coincidentally, my ticket for the Louisiana Downs Pick 5 also comes in at $72. If you want to play along, here’s my race-by-race take on the 50-cent sequence:

Race 3: Louisiana Cup Distaff S. (1 1/16 miles on turf, 4:37 p.m. ET)

#5 Offspring (2-1) and #6 Net a Bear (3-2) both have strong records on turf, and they’ve been exchanging victories in stakes company since last winter. Net a Bear got the better of Offspring in the Opelousas S. last month, but either one is capable of winning on Saturday.

Race 4: Louisiana Cup Juvenile S. (six furlongs, 5:03 p.m. ET)

There isn’t a crazy amount of speed in this field, so the front-running duo of #6 True Deal (5-2) and #7 Tambourine Star (4-1) should be tough to catch. But don’t count out #9 Family Creed (7-2), a mid-pack closer who has run fast on the Brisnet Speed rating scale.

Race 5: Louisiana Cup Sprint S. (six furlongs, 5:29 p.m. ET)

You can make a case for almost anyone in this highly competitive sprint, and it’s tempting to hit the “ALL” button. But to keep ticket costs reasonable, we’ll try to survive with only #1 Saltee Stark (10-1), #3 Monte Man (7-2), #6 Chu Chu’s Legacy (8-1), #7 Bertie’s Galaxy (2-1), #8 Half Again (9-2), and #11 Chimney Rock (6-1).

Race 6: Louisiana Cup Turf Classic (1 1/16 miles on turf, 5:55 p.m. ET)

#7 Carlea’s Dream (5-2) rarely finishes out of the trifecta and enters off a strong series of efforts against open company in Texas, including a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Singletary S. Dropping down into the Louisiana-bred ranks stamps Carlea’s Dream as a possible single, though deeper tickets should perhaps include the rapidly-improving former claimer #2 Mangelsen (5-1).

Race 7: Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint S. (six furlongs, 6:21 p.m. ET)

#10 Snowball (3-1) won this race last year and has drawn a favorable outside post, setting the stage for a repeat victory. But don’t overlook #2 Quikfast N Ahurry (5-1), who is cutting back in distance after placing in a pair of one-mile stakes.

50-cent Pick 5: 5,6 with 6,7,9 with 1,3,6,7,8,11 with 2,7 with 2,10 ($72)

Good luck!