Betting Pool for Breeders’ Cup Will Be Separate in California

Fans in California wagering on the Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto will be betting into a separate pool.

Because the takeout on bets is much lower here than in Canada, officials at Santa Anita and Bay Meadows decided, after discussions with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, to have the separate pool on the seven Breeders’ Cup races as well as the three Woodbine races that will be simulcast before the start of the Breeders’ Cup.

The California takeout will be 15.63% on win, place and show betting and 20.38% on all exotic wagers, including the National Pick 7, which involves the seven Breeders’ Cup races. The Canadian takeout is 19.2% on win, place and show betting and 27.2% on all exotic bets, except the National Pick 7, which has a takeout rate of 29.2%.

Admission gates at Santa Anita will open at 8 a.m. Saturday, and the first post at Woodbine will be at 9 a.m. with the first Breeders’ Cup event, the Juvenile Fillies, scheduled for 10:50 a.m.

After the Breeders’ Cup concludes with the Classic, Santa Anita will offer seven live races beginning at 3 p.m.