New wagers on offer for Kentucky Derby Day

Aside from the plethora of familiar wagering options Saturday, Churchill is offering two new multi-race bets. They are a 50-cent pick five comprising main-track stakes, starting with the Knicks Go (race 6), and a $3-minimum all-3-year-old pick three (Pat Day Mile, American Turf, Derby).

Those are in addition to all the other multi-race wagers, including the 20-cent Derby City jackpot wager (races 7-12) and four 50-cent pick fives, as well as all vertical wagers such as exactas, trifectas, superfectas, and a $1 super high five on the Derby.

The minimum increment for superfectas on Friday and Saturday is $1, as opposed to the dime supers available on all other days. The logic behind that policy is that dime supers could cause logjams at wagering windows. Theoretically, dime-super bettors would spend more time calling out numerous combinations that could create long delays here and at brick-and-mortar facilities.

Churchill first offered a superfecta on the Derby in 1996. The largest payoff for the $1 increment was $864,253, when Giacomo won the 2005 running at 50-1.