Churchill offering new wager as test

Churchill Downs planned to offer an experimental betting format using fractional pricing to ontrack customers beginning Wednesday in what is being described as a test, the company said Monday.

The bet, called the Matrix, will allow patrons to select three horses for a minimum of $9. The bet will pay off if one of the selections wins, if two of the selections fill out the exacta, and if the three selections fill out the trifecta, in any order.

The minimum wager in effect gives the bettor a 60-cent win bet on each of the three horses, a 60-cent exacta box using the three horses, and a 60-cent trifecta box using the three horses, for a total of 15 combinations. Payoffs will be based on the fractional price of the wager, and standard takeout rates will apply.

The minimum for a win bet at Churchill Downs is normally $2. The minimum for boxed exactas and trifectas is normally $1.

The test will last for the remainder of Churchill's spring meet, which concludes July 6. The bet will be offered only to customers at Churchill.