For Some Bettors, Souvenir Better Than Cash

DEL MAR, Calif. — The state of California and a horsemen’s welfare fund expect to be big beneficiaries at Del Mar today if Cigar wins the Pacific Classic and many bettors keep their tickets as souvenirs.

About $200,000 in bets on Cigar haven’t been cashed from the day he won the Arlington Citation Challenge last month. And most of the $2 win tickets on Cigar have not been cashed at Suffolk Downs, where Cigar won the Massachusetts Handicap in June.

Fans betting the Pacific Classic have until May 15, 1997, to cash their tickets. After that, half of money from the uncashed tickets goes to the state and the other half to a welfare fund for trainers. In the 1994-95 fiscal year, $2.5 million in uncashed tickets went to the state and the welfare fund.

Uncashed Cigar tickets totaling $260,000 remained at the end of the day on July 13, when he won the race at Arlington International. Since then, tickets worth $60,000 have been cashed, and the assumption is that most of the rest of the tickets will be kept as souvenirs. Cigar paid $2.60 to win, with no place and show betting.

At Suffolk Downs, in Massachusetts, Cigar paid $2.20, the minimum, with no place or show betting. There were 1,881 win bets of $2 made on Cigar, and only 280 have been cashed. Bettors have until Dec. 31, 1997, to cash their tickets in Illinois, where Arlington is located, and in Massachusetts. After that, all of the money goes to the two states.

There will be win, place and show betting on the Pacific Classic.

At Suffolk, one bettor bet $10 on Cigar and plans to keep his ticket as a souvenir. Asked why he hadn’t bet only $2, he said, “I always bet $10.”