How to bet Woodbine's mandatory-payout Super High 5 carryover

Get ready, handicappers! Saturday is the day Woodbine’s six-figure Super High 5 jackpot will be dispersed in mandatory fashion among all winning bettors.

The 20-cent bet is normally a jackpot-style wager awarding the carryover only in the event a unique winning ticket is sold. This has allowed the carryover to reach a massive CAN$ 256,706 (US$ 199,140) which is the prize pool up for grabs in the final race on Saturday afternoon.

The final race, for those who are wondering, is Race 10, a maiden special weight taking place over 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta. Nine horses have been entered, which equates to 15,120 possible outcomes.

The morning line favorite is #8 Hall of Dreams (5-2), and understandably so. The son of Belmont S. (G1) winner Lemon Drop Kid has cracked the exacta in his last three starts running long on Tapeta, including when second in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Woodbine on May 22. On that occasion, Hall of Dreams didn’t get the best setup closing into a slow pace, but he was only beaten a head in a driving finish.

The only problem is, Hall of Dreams has displayed a tendency to settle for the minor awards. He had every opportunity to win his last two route races but came up short both times. Can we trust him to finish on top for the hot jockey/trainer duo of Kazushi Kimura and Mark Casse, or is Hall of Dreams vulnerable to an upset?

I believe #1 Mad Mocha (4-1) has an upset chance. The son of Kitten’s Joy squared off against Hall of Dreams on May 22 and spent much of the race buried in traffic, steading and checking (sometimes sharply) behind the slow pace. Despite these obstacles, Mad Mocha found racing room down the homestretch and rallied gamely to finish fourth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths

If Mad Mocha works out a clean trip on Saturday, he can turn the tables on Hall of Dreams and spring a mild surprise. The fact he breezed a bullet five furlongs in :59 1/5 over the Woodbine training track last week adds to the appeal.

#2 Guard of Honor (8-1), third in the May 22 maiden heat, is a logical contender for the minor awards. So is the stakes-placed #4 Stronger Together (6-1), who has hit the board in five of his six starts. And we can’t dismiss #7 Bill Needle (3-1), runner-up in his last two starts against maiden special weight company at Woodbine, though he did benefit from tracking a pedestrian pace in his latest effort. That modest tempo did no favors to third-place finisher #9 Bringer of Rain (12-1), who was also compromised by a slow pace when finishing fifth (behind Hall of Dreams, Guard of Honor, and Mac Mocha) on May 22.

Here’s how we’ll bet the Super High 5:

• 20-cent Super High 5: 1,8 with 1,8 with 2,4,7,9 with 2,4,7,9 with 2,3,4,5,6,7,9 ($24)
• 20-cent Super High 5: 1,8 with 2,4,7,9 with 1,8 with 2,4,7,9 with 2,3,4,5,6,7,9 ($24)
• 20-cent Super High 5: 1,8 with 1,8 with 2,4,7,9 with 3,5,6 with 2,4,7,9 ($14.40)
• 20-cent Super High 5: 1,8 with 2,4,7,9 with 1,8 with 3,5,6 with 2,4,7,9 ($14.40)
  Total: $76.80

Good luck!