“Transatlantic Pick 4” to Combine NYRA, Longchamp Stakes

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will host a morning/afternoon “Transatlantic Pick 4” Sunday, Oct. 7, linking two Group 1 races from ParisLongchamp Racecourse with a pair of Grade I stakes from Belmont Park.

In addition, the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Prix de l'Opera from Longchamp will both be televised live in a 90-minute Fox Sports (FS2) show that starts at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

The GI Flower Bowl S. and GI Frizette S. will be the Belmont races (order within the Pick 4 to be determined).

Tony Allevato, NYRA's executive broadcast producer and the president of NYRA Bets, told TDN via phone Tuesday that he believes this is the first time a United States pari-mutuel entity will combine domestic with international races in a single wager.

“This is the first time that I'm aware of that two international jurisdictions will tie together to produce one bet,” Allevato said. “The world's getting smaller from a racing standpoint, and that means it's become a lot easier for U.S. fans to follow international racing. NYRA wants to be a part of that, and to help the sport grow.”

Allevato said the Transatlantic Pick 4 will be available to any North American simulcast outlet or advance-deposit wagering company that wants to take it. The minimum bet will be 50 cents. The takeout is 24%.

“The big challenge is getting the word out to our customers that the bet is available,” Allevato said. “It goes off very early on the West Coast–6:30 in the morning is when the FS2 show starts out there, and the Arc goes off a half hour after that. But we're really going to push it on social media and on all of our platforms to get the word out there.”

Could this internationally linked wager be the start of a trend at NYRA?

“Everything we do at NYRA, we always get together after the fact and look at data and results,” Allevato said. “Success isn't always determined by the amount of money that's bet, especially early on. Sometimes things take awhile to get going. So the short answer is yes, we'd like to do more of this–the idea of taking the best races, wherever they are, and putting them into one bet.

“I think we could see a day down the road when we could see a transatlantic pick 5, and maybe even someday a transatlantic pick 6,” Allevato continued. “I think fans want it, and as long as we give them the right data to bet international races so that they can be confident and have a strong opinion, then I think they're going to respond.”