Daily Derby follows a very different format to most other lotteries, as it's styled after a fictional horse race! Players select three horses to come in first, second, and third, as well as the last three digits of the first-place horse's race time (the rest of the time is pre-set, the player only picks the last 3, e.g. 1:4X:XX). You can win prizes by matching the race time only, or the first-place horse only. To win the grand prize, match all three horses in the right positions as well as the time - the race for the Grand Prize is on!
You can win the top prize in Daily Derby by matching all three winning horses in the correct positions, plus the race time. There are also prizes for matching the top three, top two, or just the first-place horses, and a prize for matching just the race time.
Check the prize table below for the odds of winning each prize, and a typical example prize for that tier:
| Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Average Prize | No. Winners in Last Draw | Average No. Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Prize |
1 in 1,320,000 | $200,044.00 | 0 | 0 |
Exacta + Race Time |
1 in 146,667* | $68.00 | 0 | 0.4 |
Win + Race Time |
1 in 13,200* | $52.00 | 2 | 3.8 |
Race Time |
1 in 1 001 | $49.00 | 46 | 45.3 |
Trifecta |
1 in 1 321 | $385.00 | 44 | 37.2 |
Exacta |
1 in 147 | $19.00 | 384 | 334.1 |
Win |
1 in 13.2 | $3.00 | 3,816 | 3,707.7 |
| * Odds marked with an asterisk have not been published officially, and are our own estimates. | ||||
Playing is simple. Choose three lucky horses to finish first, second, and third, using the list on your play slip. You can also play randomly selected horses by using the Quick Pick option on the play slip.
Next, pick your Race Time - the amount of time it will take for the fastest horse to win. This Race Time must be between 1:40:00 and 1:49:99 (one minute and forty seconds to one minute and forty-nine point nine-nine seconds). You pick the last three numbers - for example, if you select 1:45:99, then mark only the last three digits, 5:99, on your play slip.
Each play slip has room for three separate plays, and you can use the Advance Play option to enter your choices in multiple consecutive drawings, saving you having to fill out more play slips in future. With Advance Play, you can enter 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 14 additional draws.
The odds of winning the Grand Prize (match all three horses plus the Race Time) are 1 in 1,320,000. The prize with the best odds is "Win" (match the 1st-place horse only) and the odds for this are 1 in 13.2.
The overall odds of winning any prize in Daily Derby are about 1 in 13.03. This is very close to the odds for the "Win" prize tier, because all higher horse-matching prizes require you to first match the 1st-place horse. The only other way to win is by matching the Race Time, which is much rarer and adds only a small boost to the overall winning odds.
Winnings over $599 are subject to federal taxes and other offsets. However, California does not charge state taxes.
For every $1 spent by players on Daily Derby, $0.95 goes back to the community - distributed to CA public schools and colleges, player prizes and retailer compensation.
You have 180 days from the draw date to claim your Daily Derby prize.
If a jackpot is not claimed within 180 days of the draw date, the unclaimed prize funds are allocated to California public education, and cannot be recovered by the player.
See jackpot amounts for every California Daily Derby draw that has taken place in the last six months below. Separately, you can scroll back and see the percentage and value increase/decrease of each draw compared to the previous one.
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