How to Bet on Horses:
First, here are the Straight Bets:
WIN
A "WIN" bet is just what it sounds like: you are betting that the horse you pick will win the race. If the horse wins, you win.
PLACE
For a horse to "PLACE," it must finish the race second.
SHOW
For a horse to "SHOW" it must finish the race third.
Other types of Horse Racing Bets:
ACROSS THE BOARD
This is a quick way to say that you want to bet a horse to finish in any of the first three positions etc. ($2 Across The Board = $2 to win, $2 to place, and $2 to show). If the horse wins, you collect all three bets. If the horse finishes 2nd, then you collect the place and show bets. If the horse finishes 3rd, then you will only collect the show bet.
Exacta
With this bet you must pick the first two finishing horses in the order of their finish. In other words, you must pick the horse that wins and the horse that finishes second.
Exacta Box
A "box" on two or more horses in a race means taking all the possible combinations
of those horses in each place of finish. If you have determined that two horses
are the best in the race but you are not sure which one will win and which one
will finish second, then a safe bet is the Exacta Box. You can box more than
two horses, but it is very important to remember that with each additional horse
you add to the box, that the cost of the wager goes up substantially.
Quinella
In the Quinella, you must pick the horses that finish first and second. Either one can be first and the other one second. This bet functions exactly the same as the "Exacta Box." Although the Quinella has a similar function as the "Exacta Box" the payoff can vary substantially. It is really two separate bets on one ticket.
Trifecta
With this bet you must pick the first three finishing horses in the order of their finish. In other words, you must pick the horse that wins, the horse that finishes second and the horse that finishes third.
The simplest form of this wager is the Straight Trifecta, which is a single combination of the first three finishers. If you were to make a bet for Straight Trifecta at $2, to purchase it, you would simply tell a clerk: "$2 Trifecta on 1-2-3." A Trifecta is not offered in all races at all tracks.
This wager is sometimes also called the "Triple."
Trifecta Box
With the Trifecta Box, you can box three or more horses on a single ticket.
For example, to purchase a $2 Trifecta Box using four horses, you would tell a clerk: "$1 Trifecta Box 11-2-3-4."
The following examples are for a $2 Trifecta Box:
| 3 horse box ( 6 combinations) | Cost $12 |
| 4 horse box ( 24 combinations) | Cost $48 |
| 5 horse box ( 60 combinations) | Cost $120 |
| 6 horse box (120 combinations) | Cost $240 |
| 7 horse box (210 combinations) | Cost $420 |
SUPERFECTA
A Superfecta is very similar to a Trifecta. Instead of hitting the top 3 horses
in a race in the correct order, you need to name the top 4 horses in correct
order.
PICK 3
In order to win a Pick 3 bet you are required to select the winning horse in three consecutive races. Most tracks only offer one or two pick 3 opportunities per day. Some tracks offer a rolling Pick 3 in which every race is part of a Pick 3 bet, which means that some races are included in three Pick 3 bets. The third race for example, would be the third race of the first Pick 3, the second race of the second Pick 3, and the first race of the third Pick 3. Sound complicated? It's really very simple. The simplest Pick 3 bet would be a straight Pick 3. If for example, you picked the #2 horse to win the first race, the #4 horse to win the second race, and the #6 horse to win the third race, you would tell the clerk, $2 Pick 3 Race 1,2, and 3- 2, 4, 6.
PICK 4
A Pick 4 is the same as a Pick 3 except that instead of picking 3 race winners
in a row, you must hit 4 races in a row. This may not be available at
some tracks.
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, you must pick the winning horse in each of the two races. Combination bets can also be made on Daily Doubles.
PARLAY
There are three types of Parlay wagers: Win Parlay, Place Parlay, and Show Parlay.
When your wager is a Win Parlay, the bet is that your horse is going to come
in 1st place and if that happens, then the risk + the winning money goes onto
your next selection and so on. Remember, if you lose one of your races in the
Parlay, your wager is complete and all monies are lost, which means it acts exactly
like a parlay on sports games.
Please note:
. You can Box, Key or Wheel most of the above bets.
. Different race tracks may have different rules or limitations that could affect wagering on a particular race. If unsure, ask when placing a bet.
. We pay full "track odds" meaning, your payout will be based on the actual odds posted, up to our store limits.
For more details and exact rules, please see
Horse
Wagering Rules.