Daily double

The daily double was the first so-called "exotic" wager{{efn|A bet other than win, place, or show.}} offered by North American racetracks. Introduced in 1931 at Connaught Park Racetrack near Ottawa by owner Léo Dandurand,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-courier-broadway-bugle/146274560/ |title=Broadway Bugle |first=Dan |last=Parker |newspaper=Courier-Post |location=Camden, New Jersey |page=23 |date=April 1, 1949 |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |work=Montreal Gazette |title=Innovation for 'Double' Tickets |date=May 20, 1932 |page=19 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-innovation-for-double-tick/146256850/ |via=newspapers.com}} it was noted as being "a fad in England this season."{{efn|Newspaper reports of daily doubles in horse racing in Great Britain date to at least 1929.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-herald-walter-gay-gone/146261114/ |title=Walter Gay Gone |newspaper=Daily Herald |location=London |page=10 |date=July 24, 1929 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}}} When first offered on June 3, 1931, on the third and fifth races,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-betting-innovations-p/146257997/ |title=Betting Innovations Promised For Races at Connaught Park |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |page=10 |date=May 28, 1931 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} a winning $2 wager paid $47.95 {{USDCY|47.95|1931}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-double-popular/146258648/ |title='Double' Popular |newspaper=The Gazette |location=Montreal |page=19 |date=June 4, 1931 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} The following month, daily double betting was introduced at the Hamilton Jockey Club in Hamilton, Ontario, on the second and fourth races of the daily program.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator-daily-double-tick/146260521/ |title=Daily Double Ticket |newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |location=Hamilton, Ontario |page=20 |date=July 18, 1931 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} In time, racetracks typically offered the wager for the first two races of each day's program, as an enticement for spectators to arrive early for the entire program.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-brings-crowd-out-earlier/146268724/ |title=Brings Crowd Out Earlier |newspaper=The Evening Sun |location=Baltimore, Maryland |page=27 |date=April 3, 1935 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

As with all other American racing wagers, the "double" is conducted in parimutuel fashion, but with the number of betting interests in the daily double pool equal to the product of the number of entries in each race. For example, if there are 10 entries in the first race and eight in the second, there will be 80 betting interests, one for each combination of two potential winners. This results in higher payoffs than those found in straight betting for win, place, or show. Due to daily double wagers only having a single takeout,{{efn|"Takeout" is commission deducted from pool betting, shared by the track and governing bodies in the form of tax.{{cite web |url=https://www1.drf.com/help/help_glossary.html#T |title=Daily Racing Form Glossary of Horse Racing Terms |website=drf.com |accessdate=April 28, 2024}}}} winning daily double bets pay off at higher odds than betting both horses to win, or even parlaying them.{{efn|For example; as of 2024, Aqueduct Racetrack has an 18.5% takeout on daily double wagers, as compared to a 16% takeout on any win bet.{{cite web |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_gQPkXvF_O0Vv3WLfXUvTy8PVklEX3tP/view |title=Takeout info |first=Christopher |last=Larmey |date=April 26, 2024 |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |via=Google Drive}} The latter would result in an aggregate takeout of nearly 30% on two win bets, using all proceeds from the first bet to fund the second bet, as 0.84 * 0.84 is 0.7056, which equates to a 29.44% takeout.}}

Examples of large payouts on $2 daily double wagers include $10,772 in 1939 {{USDCY|10772|1939}} at Washington Park Race Track in Illinois,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-daily-double-playoff/146272629/ |title=Daily Double Playoff Sets New Record |agency=UP |newspaper=Daily Chronicle |location=DeKalb, Illinois |page=6 |date=August 15, 1939 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} $6,683 in 1972 {{USDCY|6683|1972}} at Gulfstream Park in Florida,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-daily-double-pays-668/146262142/ |title=Daily Double Pays $6,683 at Gulfstream |agency=AP |newspaper=Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Connecticut |page=50 |date=January 27, 1972 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} $8,693.60 in 1990 {{USDCY|8693.60|1990}} at Freehold Raceway in New Jersey,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/courier-post-world-record-daily-double-a/146262890/ |title=World record daily double at Freehold |newspaper=Courier-Post |location=Camden, New Jersey |page=8D |date=January 16, 1990 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} and $6,953 in 1999 {{USDCY|6953|1999}} at Turf Paradise Race Course in Arizona.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-record-daily-double-fol/146262445/ |title=Record daily double follows track repairs |first=Jim |last=Gintonio |newspaper=The Arizona Republic |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=C2 |date=December 7, 1999 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

In 1973, American actor and comedian Alan Carney died of a heart attack from the excitement of winning a daily double at Hollywood Park Racetrack in California.{{cite news |title=Alan Carney Dies. Comedian Was 63 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/05/archives/alan-carney-dies-comedian-was-63.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 5, 1973 |accessdate=2015-02-10 |via=nytimes.com}}

A "late double" is frequently offered on the day's final two races. Some tracks offer a "rolling double" — a daily double starting on each race on the program except for the last race.

Occasional doubles are offered on important races contested on separate days. The most prominent example is the "Oaks–Derby Double" offered by Churchill Downs, where bettors pick the winners of the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby.{{cite web |url=https://www.twinspires.com/edge/racing/what-is-the-kentucky-oaksderby-double/ |title=What is the Kentucky Oaks/Derby Double? |website=twinspires.com |first=J. Keeler |last=Johnson |date=May 6, 2022 |accessdate=April 28, 2024}} The Oaks is run the day before the Derby; the latter is traditionally run on the first Saturday of May.

A 1935 newspaper report stated that "daily triple" wagering was offered as part of horse racing in India,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-india-pays-daily-tripl/146268447/ |title=India Pays Daily Triples |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |page=9 |date=April 1, 1935 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} and the same was reported in 1949 for horse racing in Denmark.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/medford-mail-tribune-on-the-side/146269803/ |title=On the Side |first=E. V. |last=Durling |newspaper=Mail Tribune |location=Medford, Oregon |page=8 |date=May 22, 1949 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} American sportscaster Clem McCarthy opined that "few players of races can tolerate such slow action for their money."{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lexington-herald-leader-at-the-races/146269080/ |title=At The Races |newspaper=Lexington Leader |first=Clem |last=McCarthy |page=6 |date=September 6, 1937 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} Notwithstanding, Santa Anita Park in California introduced daily triple wagering in October 1986.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-santa-anita-seeks-app/146270481/ |title=Santa Anita seeks approval for Daily Triple wagering |first=Atlee |last=Horner |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |page=C10 |date=July 10, 1986 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-horse-racing-notes/146270653/ |title=Horse Racing Notes |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=III-2 |date=October 1, 1986 |accessdate=April 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}

By 1932, quinella wagering was also being offered by some racetracks,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-greyhound-racing-at-its/146275447/ |title=Greyhound Racing at its Best! |newspaper=Miami Herald |page=24 |date=February 7, 1932 |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} while the exacta did not appear until the mid-1950s.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-lauderdale-news-new-quiniela-bet-sy/146275627/ |title=New Quiniela Bet System Set At Dania |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |page=1 |date=March 21, 1955 |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}} These wagers were typically offered only a few times on each program, largely because of the limitations of electro-mechanical totalisator systems.

When computer technology took over, more exotic wagers were introduced, such as the trifecta, superfecta and "pick 6". The higher payouts for these wagers tended to diminish interest in the daily double, but it is still offered, sometimes more than once during a program.

"Pick 3" and "pick 4" wagers are derived from the daily double. These wagers require bettors to pick the winners of three or four consecutive races, respectively. These are also often offered on a rolling basis — a rolling pick 3 on races one to three, another on races two to four, and so on throughout the program.

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|30em}}

Category:Sports betting

Category:Horse racing terminology

Category:Gambling terminology