Mountaineer Pick #3 Rules
 

I had two tickets that looked like this: late scratch/late scratch/winner and winner/late scratch/winner. I collected nothing. What kind of nonsense is this? Needless to say, never again.

Did the favorite win the late scratch legs?

No, they didn't. I expected at least a consolation for the second leg and a refund for the first leg scratches.

Tracks do it one of two ways

1) You get the favorite

2) You get a consolation

I never know which way because it differs per state laws, but I would rather have the favorite, regardless if I like him or not, I want the action....

caveat emptor

some rules say you get the chalk, some say conso, some say refund.

Mountaineer's rules for the pick 3 are too brutal to play in my opinion. Those scratches weren't last minute gate scratches. The first leg was around 10 minutes to post. The second leg was a scratch as soon as betting opened up for that race. I don't believe the horse was even at the track, or was ineligible for the condition. The reason I say that is because someone on another forum, who actually goes to the track, stated that this has happened before.

In West Virginia, a scratch automatically substitutes the post time favorite. This is true in all legs, including the first.

And that makes West Virginia's pick 3 rules archaic. There are scratches constantly in these races. Sometimes in turf races they will switch from turf to dirt AFTER the first leg is completed and there isn't a drop of rain in sight, only dew. A third of the field will be scratched and the dirt horse with no turf form will win. Just baloney and a total disregard to the horse player. I will still play Mountaineer because of the great prices, just not the pick 3 anymore.