Home Forums Sports Picks Central Trackside Picks New to Racing? No Problem!

Never bet the ponies and want to get down on the action?

Here's a quick basic crash course of how you can get involved:

TYPES OF BETS

Win: if your horse finishes 1st, you win.
Place: if your horse finishes 1st or 2nd, you win.
Show: if your horse finishes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, you win.
Exacta: if you select the 1st & 2nd place horses, in the exact order they finish, you win.
Trifecta: if you select the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place horses, in the exact order they finish, you win.
Superfecta: if you select the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th place horses, in the exact order they finish, you win.
Daily Double: if you pick the winners of two consecutive races, you win.
Pick 3: if you select the winners of three consecutive, designated races, you win.
Pick 4: if you select winners of four consecutive, designated races, you win.
Pick 6: if you select winners of six consecutive designated races, you win.

Boxing:
Boxing allows your selected horses to finish in any order to win the wager. For example, if you box the one and two horses in an exacta, you win if the race finishes 1-2 or 2-1. The same applies for Trifecta and Superfecta wagers.

Keying/Wheeling:
Similar to boxing, keying/wheeling a horse(s) allows you to select certain horses to finish in a
specific order. For example, if you are confident the 5 horse is going to win the race, but can’t decide between the 2 or 6 horse to come in second, you can bet an exacta keying the 5 horse -“Five with two and six.” Now if the five wins and the 2 or 6 finishes second, you win. Similarly, if you think the 2 and 3 horses are going to compete for the win, but you want to bet a trifecta with the 4, 7 or 8 finishing third, you can wheel the horses – “Two, Three with Two, Three with Four, Seven, Eight.” Now if the 2 and 3 horses come in first and second in either order, and the 4, 7 or 8
finishes third, you win.

$1 Exacta Box with

2 horses cost $2
3 horses cost $6
4 horses cost $12
5 horses cost $20
6 horses cost $30
7 horses cost $42

$1 Trifecta Box with

3 horses cost $6
4 horses cost $24
5 horses cost $48
6 horses cost $120
7 horses cost $210

$1 Superfecta Box with

4 horses cost $24
5 horses cost $120
6 horses cost $360
7 horses cost $840

ODDS & PAYOFFS

1-9 $2.20
1-5 $2.40
2-5 $2.80
3-5 $3.20
4-5 $3.60
1-1 $4
6-5 $4.40
7-5 $4.80
8-5 $5.20
9-5 $5.60
2-1 $6
5-2 $7
3-1 $8
7-2 $9
4-1 $10
9/2 $11
5-1 $12

With each odd higher add $2 to the payout. Keep in mind that odds do finish in between and you will say a 7/2 favorite pay 9.80 and let's say a 2-1 at $6.60. So the odds aren't an exact science of price but a indicator of the range between one number and another. This will get you into the ballpark of the price ranges. Also some tracks pay out on a 10 cent line denomination while others hold to the traditional 20 cents prices. New York is paying out to the 10 cent mark and thus why you will see prices such as $3.50.

Type of Race:

Stakes Race: the highest class of race with the biggest purses. Owners typically pay an entry fee to nominate, enter,
and run their horse. The Kentucky Derby is an example of a Stakes Race.

Maiden Race: a race for horses that have never won a race.

Allowance Race: a race that involves conditions such as “non-winner of three races.” Allowance races feature horses
that have “broken their maidens” (i.e. won their first race) but are not ready for stakes competition. Horses are not for
sale in allowance races.

Claiming Race: another form of conditions set by the racing secretary to ensure a competitive field. In claiming races, all horses can be purchased for an amount determined prior to running. Once the race begins, a claimed horse becomes the property of the new owner, though purse money from the race goes to the former owner. This ensures owners won’t try to enter a great horse against lesser competition without the risk of losing the horse to a new owner.

Resources you can use:

Daily Racing Form
Brisnet
Daily News Papers
Track Tipsters