Basic Horse Racing Bets
WIN – You bet your horse to finish first.
PLACE – You bet your horse to finish second.
SHOW – You bet your horse to finish third.
ACROSS THE BOARD – You bet your horse to Win, Place and Show.
WIN-PLACE – You bet your horse to Win and Place.
Basic Exotic Horseracing Wagers
EXACTOR – You bet two horses to finish first and second in exact order. A $2 Exactor 3-5 means that horse #3 must win and horse #5 must finish second. A $2 Exactor box 3-5 costs twice as much ($4) but combines the two horses to finish first and second, in either order. A $2 Exactor Box 3-5 pays off if the final order finish is either 3-5 or 5-3. Exactor betting is a favorite among many skilled handicappers and can provide some very lucrative payoffs. At some racetrack Exactors are referred to as Exactas.
QUINELLA – You bet two horses to finish first and second in either order. A $2 Quinella 4-5 pays off if the final order of finish is 4-5 or 5-4. As long asyour two horses finish in the top two positions, you win. Quinellas generally (but not always) pay less than Exactors, simply because your two selections can finish in either order, rather than in exact order.
TRIACTOR – You bet three horses to finish first, second and third in exact order. A $2 straight Triactor 4-5-6 pays off only if the final order of finish is 4-5-6. A popular wager among many horseracing fans is a $1 Triactor box of three or more horses. A $1 Triactor box of three horses such as 4-5-6 costs $6 but includes six possible winning combinations and pays off if your three selections finish in the top three positions in any order. The cost of a $1 Triactor box is equal to the number of combinations multiplied by $1. At some racetracks Triactors are referred to as Trifectas.
SUPERFECTA – You bet four horses to finish first, second, third and fourth in exact order. A $2 straight Superfecta 4-6-5-2 pays off only if the final order of finish is 4-6-5-2. A popular wager among many fans is a $1 Superfecta wheel, in which you select one horse to win and a combination of other horses to finish second, third and fourth. The cost of a $1 Superfecta wheel with one horse to win and three other horses to finish in any order in the second, third and fourth positions, costs $6. The cost of a $1 Superfecta box including four horses to finish first second, third and fourth, in any order, is $24.
Exactor and Triactor boxes and wheels are offered at most tracks as $1 wagers. The minimum bet for a Quinella is $2. Superfectas are offered at some racetracks for as little as $0.10 per combination. For example, a $0.10 Superfecta box including four horses would cost you $2.40. Of course, the lower the amount of your wager generally means a lower payout. If a $1 Superfecta box pays off at $100, a $0.10 Superfecta Box would pay $10.
Basic Multiple Race Bets
Daily Double, Win-3, Win-4 and Pick-6
Multiple race wagers require you to pick the winners of multiple consecutive races on one ticket.
The Daily Double, often featured on the first two and last two races of the card, requires that you pick the winners of two consecutive races. The Win-3 or Pick-3 requires you to select the winners of three consecutive races. The Win-4 or Pick-4 requires you to select the winners of four consecutive races and the Pick-6 requires you to select the winners of six consecutive races.
Multiple race bets are offered as a $1 wageror greater. The cost is equal to the number of horses selected in the first race (first leg) in the bet multiplied by the number of horses selected in the second race (second leg) of the bet, multiplied by the number of horses in the third leg etc. up to six races, multiplied by the amount of your bet. For example:
$1 Win-4 Wheel: 1 with 4,5, 6 with 2, with 3,4 would be:
1 selection * 3 selections * 1 selection * 2 selections * $1 =$6
It is slightly more difficult to select winning combinations when playing exotic and multiple race bets, but the risk is worth the reward. These wagers offer the best chance of making a big score at the track for the least amount of money.
