In thoroughbred racing, Consolation refers to a smaller payout given to bettors who nearly hit their wager but fell just short of the full winning combination.
Betting Context
The most common use of consolation in thoroughbred racing involves multi-race wagers like the Pick 6, where players attempt to select winners in consecutive races. A player who hits 5-of-6 races in the Pick 6 will typically collect a small consolation payout, though these are generally much smaller than the full jackpot.
Consolation payouts also apply to daily doubles when there’s a scratch. A “consolation double” provides a payout to holders of daily double tickets who correctly picked the winning horse in the first race but had their selection scratched from the second race.
The consolation payout system ensures that bettors who come close to hitting difficult multi-race wagers still receive some return on their investment, making these challenging bets more attractive to players.