ROFLMBO!!!
After 24 races, and the cost of the trip and tickets , we walked away +$40.00. Had a blast.
Played large on California Chrome and smiled all the way to the cash-in line.
How the heck does everyone know we went to the Derby?
It's awesome that you had a good time and enjoyed yourselves. THAT is what is all about.
The lowest paying wagers are on favored horses with the lowest odds.
The highest paying wagers are on longshots, especially under "sloppy" track conditions when longshots rock. Had you had wagered more money on the horses to place or show in the final Derby race, your $40 could have easily been $4,000+ based on your monitary wager and the odds at post time. If you had FUN, then it was all worth it then.
The BEST bets are trifectas (Win, Place, Show), with the best being BOXED trifecta bets where any of the top 3 in a race can come in in any 1-2-3 order and still payout huge.
It was a blast turning around a $4.4Million a year track gaming venue and building it into a $16.6Million a year venue--making $3.1Million in profit on a simple holiday weekend, based (especially) on the customer service (written & taught syllabus) that Wynn, Harrahs, and Trump properties failed to impliment. But then again, what do I know about running a multi-million dollar business focusing on customer service.