Columnist Ralph Siraco: Del Mar meet gets under way on Wednesday

Ralph Siraco

Monday, July 19, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

Ripley's "Believe It or Not" stumper of the week: The most anticipated song in the race books of Las Vegas won't be anywhere near the top of the charts. Neither will the artist that sings it.

On Wednesday, at approximately 1:50 p.m., the race books will be turning up the sound on the Southern California racing signal to the tune of "Where The Turf Meets The Surf," by Bing Crosby. And about 10 minutes later the field for the first race at Del Mar will get under way as the starting gate springs open to the roar of the crowd.

The Southern California summertime racing spa will then be officially open.

Del Mar, the popular race course by the sands of the Pacific, begins its 65th summer racing season for seven glorious weeks. The racing schedule will fill up six of the seven days per week from the seaside through Sept. 8, with only Tuesdays to catch your breath, and fans here in the gaming desert will be treated to some summertime fun and promotions.

Each year, many race books in Las Vegas perk up those who can't get away to the beach for racing by offering some player incentives to get them through the triple-digit monsoon dog days of summer.

This year, three casino companies will be offering promotions that are certain to get the race players through the season.

Station Casinos race books will actually be offering a day at Del Mar. The casino company has booked a jet to take winners of its new Del Mar promotion to the track on Monday, Sept. 6. That Labor Day trip will consist of a round-trip flight and transportation to and from the track and a VIP suite at the track catered with food and beverage. Each winner gets a trip for two.

Beginning Friday and each Friday through Sept. 3, Station race books will conduct a drawing to determine the winner. Entries for the weekly contest will be earned for every bet on Del Mar races placed at any of the six participating race books that day. With every $20 worth of wagers on a single visit to the betting windows, the player receives a drawing ticket. Players will receive a drawing ticket with each $20 in wagers throughout the Del Mar card with a cap of 10 tickets for any single visit to the betting window. Players then deposit their tickets into the drawing barrel and at the end of the Friday Del Mar racing card, a drawing will be held to announce the winner that week.

The second-place prize will be $300 cash and third place will get $200 cash. Each race book will conduct independent drawings -- so bettors can choose from Palace, Boulder, Texas, Sunset, Sante Fe or Green Valley Ranch Stations.

Six trips and cash prizes will be distributed each Friday at the various Station race books. The plane awaits.

Coast Casinos will continue with its popular Free Pick Five contest. Beginning with Wednesday's Del Mar opening, horseplayers will have an opportunity to pad their bankrolls. The contest -- now enriched by $500 per day -- has players picking one horse, and an alternate, per race for the first five races on the Del Mar card. There is a guaranteed payout of $2,000 per contest with an additional $1,000 daily bonus for any ticket that sweeps the winners in all five races. If there are no perfect 5-for-5 winners, then the $1,000 bonus carries over to the next contest day and it keeps building -- at $1,000 per contest -- until somebody selects the winners on a perfect card.

During the recently concluded Hollywood Park meet, the bonus pool reached $16,000 before a perfect ticket won it at the Barbary Coast.

The Free Del Mar Pick Five contest will be conducted every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the meeting on races 1 to 5 daily at any of the four Coast Casinos race books. In addition to a free shot for cash at the Barbary Coast, Suncoast, Gold Coast or the Orleans, four horseplayers from the contests will qualify to play in the $1 million Horseplayer World Series at the Orleans in January. That winner takes down $500,000.

Bally's Las Vegas is going to put its horseplayers "In Action." Promoted by Race Day Las Vegas, the Bally's offering will kick in each day there is a Pick Six carryover pool of at least $100,000 during both the Del Mar and Saratoga race meets. This promotion is also free. However, those attending the Pick Six seminars on the promotion day must register first.

A Pick Six player's card will be issued free to any horseplayer with proper ID who wishes to participate in the promotion. When there is a Pick Six carryover at Del Mar or Saratoga there will be a seminar on those races at Bally's race book. After the seminar, attendees and the seminar handicappers will put together a Pick Six ticket worth at least $800. That ticket will be purchased -- placed into the pari-mutuel pool -- on behalf of the registered seminar attendees.

In addition to the Pick Six, there will be a separate Pick Four wager, again placed into the pari-mutuel pool for the seminar attendees. That ticket will be around the the $140 level. Any winnings from either ticket will be shared by the seminar attendees. Both the wagers and registration for the promotion are free.

The Pick Six seminars for the carryover promotion will be announced on the Race Day Las Vegas radio show that morning. The show can be heard weekdays 9-10 a.m. and weekends 8-9 a.m. on KSHP 1400-AM, or online at warpradio.com.

Free shots at cash, Pick Sixes and Pick Fours with drawings for cash and a trip to Del Mar ... Only in Las Vegas!