A guide to horse race betting

Bookmark Sportsbook Patrol

Site Map

Help

Horse Racing Wagering Guide

Straight Wagers (Win, Place, Show)

Below are the types of wagers offered on certain races, as well as how much they will cost. Of course, the higher the payoff, the more one’s attention is attracted. However, the higher the payoff, the more difficult it is to select the winning combination.

Win

A WIN bet is just what it sounds like: betting that the horse you pick will win the race. You win if the horse wins.

Place

For a horse to PLACE, it must finish the race either first or second. Obviously, this bet is a little less risky, so the return will not be as great.

Show

For a horse to SHOW, it must finish the race either first, second or third. This is a conservative bet, but it still can be profitable, if you pick your spots.

Across the board

This is a quick and easy way to bet a horse in all three positions. ($2 Across The Board = $2 to win, $2 to place, and $2 to show). If the horse wins, the bettor collects on all three bets. If the horse finishes 2nd, the bettor collects the place and show bets. If the horse finishes 3rd, the bettor will only collect the show bet.

Having decided on the type of bets to make, the player must now decide on how much to risk. The player would be wise to separate the money he intends to wager from the money he wants to take home. That way, win or lose, the player can find the enjoyment that makes thoroughbred horse racing one of the most popular spectator sports in the world!

Exotic Wagers

Examples of Exotic Wagers are the Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta, Daily Double, Daily Triple/Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 6. Needless to say, Exotic Wagers are more difficult than WIN, PLACE or SHOW because they require multiple selections to finish in the proper order.

Daily Double

The Daily Double involves picking the winning horse in two consecutive races. All tracks offer the early Daily Double, which involves races #1 and #2. Most tracks also offer a late Daily Double, which is the last two races of the day. Some tracks also offer a rolling Daily Double, which is on any two consecutive races. To win a Daily Double, the bettor must pick the winning horse in each of the two races. Multiple combinations can be used when playing the Double. Wheeling and keying horses in any leg of the Daily Double is accepted.

Quinella

In the Quinella, the bettor must pick the horses that finish first and second. Either one can be first and the other one second. This bet is exactly the same as the “Exacta Box”. Although the Quinella has the same function as the “Exacta Box” the payoff can vary substantially. The bettor must remember that there is no such wager as an exacta box; it is really two separate bets on one ticket. The Quinella wagers are entered into their own pool separate from the exacta pool. Not all tracks offer the Quinella wager, but all tracks accept the term exacta box wherever the exacta wager is offered. If both the Quinella and the Exacta wagers are offered it is wise to check the tote board before making a Quinella or Exacta Box wager to see which one offers the greater payoff.

Exacta

With the Exacta wager, the bettor must pick the first two finishing horses in the order of their finish. In other words, the bettor must pick the horse that wins and the horse that finishes second. Again, an Exacta can also be played using multiple combinations. Wheeling, keying and boxing horses in Exacta wagering is a popular form of betting.

Trifecta

With this bet the player must pick the first three finishing horses in the order of their finish. In other words, the bettor must pick the horse that wins, the horse that finishes second and the horse that finishes third.

Superfecta

With this bet, the bettor must pick the first four finishing horses in the order of their finish. In other words, the bettor must pick the horse that wins, the horse that finishes second, third, and fourth.

Pick 3

In order to win a Pick 3 wager, the bettor must select the winning horse in three consecutive races. Many tracks offer the Pick 3 and most offer a rolling Pick 3.

Pick 4

The Pick 4 is the same as the Pick 3, but the bettor must successfully pick the winners of four consecutive races. Not all tracks offer the Pick 4, which is a short form of the Pick 6 wager. Most Pick 4 wagering is on the last four races of the racing card, although some tracks offer early Pick 4 wagering on the first four races.

Pick 6

The Pick 6 is similar to the Pick 3 and Pick 4, but the bettor must successfully pick the winners of six consecutive races. Further, the Pick 6 has a minimum wager of $2 on each six-horse selection, whereas the Pick 3 and the Pick 4 have a minimum wager of $1 per combination. Not all online sportsbooks offer the Pick 6.

Pick All

Only major tracks currently offer this form of exotic wagering. In order to win the Pick All, the bettor must pick the winners of all the races.

Place Pick All

The Place Pick All is the same as the Pick All, except that the bettor must pick a horse in each race that must finish either first or second.

Boxing Horses In Exotics

A box is when the bettor uses multiple horses taking all possible combinations in that particular bet. If the bettor determines that two, three, or four horses are the best in the race, but he is not sure which one will win, run second, third, or fourth, then the box may be the best bet.

Example: A $1 Superfecta Box using all the combinations of horses 1-2-3-4-5. To win the Superfecta, four of the five horses must finish in the top four to be a winner. The same example applies to the Exacta (top two finishers) & Trifectas (top three finishers).

Keying Horses in Exotics

A Key is when the bettor uses a single horse to win, run second, or third using multiple horses in front of him or behind him.

Example: In a $1 Pick 3, the bettor selects the 2 horse as the key, with the 3-4-5 horses, and with the 3-4-5-6 horses. This means that the 2 horse must win the first leg of the Pick 3 wager, either the 3-4 or 5 horse must win the second leg, and the 3-4-5 or 6 must win the third leg in order to win the bet. In the example there are 12 combinations; therefore, the Pick 3 ticket would cost a total of $12, or $1 for each combination.

The same method of Key Horse wagering applies to Daily Doubles, Exactas, Trifectas and Superfectas.

A wheel is when the bettor uses a single horse in a position with multiple horses finishing ahead, or in some cases behind (referred to as a “Reverse” or “Back” Wheel) the horse being wheeled. In some instances, the Wheel horse and a Key horse are interchangeable.

Example: In a $2 Exacta, the 1 horse with all the other horses in the field. This means the 1 horse must win the race, in which case one of the other horses in the field will run second, thereby completing the Wheel. If the bettor were to place a Reverse – or Back – Wheel, then he would bet all the horses to win the race, and select the 1 horse to run second.

The Wheel wager also is used in Daily Doubles, Trifectas and Superfectas.

Part Wheels

Part Wheels are offered at a $1 minimum bet per combination -- $1 minimum total cost. Part Wheels are when the bettor uses multiple horses in different positions.

Example: A $1 Trifecta Part Wheel – the 1-2 horses with the 1-2-3 horses with the 1-2-3-4-5 horses. This means the 1 or 2 must win the race, the 1-2-3 must run second and the 1-2-3-4-5 must finish third for the bet to win. Part Wheels also may be bet in Trifectas, Superfectas and other multi-race exotics. When betting a Part Wheel in Pick 3’s and Pick 4’s, the horses Wheeled must win the race.