AmTote crash shuts down Caymanas Park

AMTOTE SNEEZED in the United States yesterday and Caymanas Park caught the virus as horse racing at racetracks served by “the leading technology and services provider to the North American pari-mutuel wagering market” hit the proverbial brick wall, leaving punters high and dry amid undeclared dividends and races abandoned late afternoon.

Locally, Caymanas Park got as far as the ninth race but was unable to declare dividends after the tote crash, further forcing the abandonment of the feature event, the 10th race for the International Women’s Day Trophy, as AmTote-served tracks were affected on both the east and west coasts of the United States, including Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay in Florida, Laurel Park and Santa Anita in California.

At Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, monitors read “Ticket cashing delayed until tomorrow. Our sincere apologies.”

Whereas Caymanas Park had to abandon its feature for overnight-allowance runners, Tampa Bay was forced to run its derby as a wagering-free, purse-money-only contest. The Grade Two, $400,000 event, won by Chad Brown’s DOMESTIC PRODUCT awarded the top five finishers Kentucky Derby-qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale towards a spot in the starting gate for the ‘Run for the Roses’ the first Saturday in May.

Solomon Sharpe, chairman, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), said holders of tickets affected by the tote crash should keep their bet slips until further notice.

“Dividend was paid up to the eighth race, nothing beyond. Holders of tickets for the ninth race and beyond, including exotic wagering, everything, please, hold all tickets,” said the SVREL chairman.

Explaining the tote pile-up, Sharpe likened it to a social-media crash.

“The tote provider does everything. It’s like when Facebook has a problem at their hub. It affects all Facebook users,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, upsetters such as 8-1 shot MATUSO flooring money-back favourite COMEHOMETOME in the second event, followed by ERTUGRUL at 16-1 in the eighth, already had punters punch-drunk before BOX BOX made all at 3-1 in the ninth, dividend which would have consoled some bettors had the tote not crashed.

Tevin Foster and Raddesh Roman rode a winner each in their battle atop the jockeys’ standings, DODGE THIS LINK and United States-bred SHE’S A GODGIFT, moving to 26 and 20 wins, respectively, whereas Robert Halledeen reached 12 in third place, booting home champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s three-year-old debutant, FEARLESS ATTACK, in the sixth at five furlongs straight.

Local racing continues on Saturday but, should the AmTote issue be resolved, the possibility exists that tickets from yesterday could be encashed during weekday simulcast racing.