For first-time bettors, horse racing can be daunting. The sport uses distance measurements dating back to the earliest days since horse racing started. The wagering system are even more complex, especially for beginners.
As such, this beginner’s guide and wager types explained to horse race betting is outlined to your advantage. It will offer you the knowledge you need to understand the terminology, aid in horse evaluation, and enable you to appreciate a day at the races. You can then progress to our more complex way of choosing a winner once you’ve mastered this.
How To Bet On Horses
There are two options: internet betting or in-person wagering at a racecourse or casino.
The track you are betting on, the race the pony is entered in, the money you are wagering, the type of bet you are putting, and the quantity of the horse you want to bet on must all be stated verbally to the teller when placing a bet in person.
On the other hand, you would fill out your betting slip if you were using a mobile or desktop device to place your bet. Your account is automatically credited with any winnings.
How Do Odds Work In Horse Racing?
Horse racing has a unique betting system, which implies that the public wagers against other players instead of the house, in contrast to sports betting, in which the pregame odds are fixed.
The wagers are pooled together, and the more money bet on a particular horse to win, the lesser the winning wager’s payoff would be. The same is true for exotic bets like exactas and trifectas, which predict the top two finishers in order and place, and show bets, which predict the second-and third-place finishers of a race and the top three finishers in order.
Lastly, post-time, when more money enters the pool, the odds in place at the moment of your wager may have changed significantly. In other words, there is no guarantee that your odds will remain the same if you wager on a horse with ten minutes remaining to post at 10-1. In contrast, once your bet is placed in sports betting, the possible reward for your ticket will not alter.
What Are The Types Of Horse Racing Bets
Win, place, and show wagers are traditional bets. Typically, the minimum bet is $2, though some tracks may accept bets of less. A win bet is only paid out if your horse comes in first. If your horse places first or second, you win the place bet. You win the show wager if your horse places first, second, or third.
Moreover, Exotic bets, such as quinellas, exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, have higher prizes but are more difficult to win.
- Exacta lets you choose the top two winners in the appropriate order.
- Quinella needs you to pick the top two finishes in any order
- Trifecta needs you to select the top three contestants in the proper ranking.
- Superfecta needs you to pick the top four finishers in the exact sequence.
Horses can also be “boxed” for additional betting combinations. If your chosen horses win in any order, a boxed exotic bet will result, but the cost of the wager increases dramatically.
Additionally, you can bet on the winners of several races. The Daily Double, which involves gamblers picking the winners of two consecutive races, is the easiest of these so-called horizontal bets.
Additionally, there are Pick 3 (select the winner of three straight races), Pick 4 (pick the winner of four straight races), Pick 5 (pick the winner of five straight races), and Pick 6 (pick the winner of six straight races).
What Are The Types Of Horse Races?
Horse races can be broken down into four main categories: allowance races, stakes races, claiming races, and maiden races.
Maiden Races
The two types of maiden races are the maiden claiming and the maiden special weight, which is for ponies that have never won.
Claiming Races
A “claiming race” race allows every horse entered to be “claimed” or bought after the race.
Allowance Races
In allowance races, weights are assigned to horses in accordance with predetermined criteria.
Stakes Races
A stakes race may be listed or graded, such as Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 competitions. The nomination fee, entrance fee, or starting fee must be paid by the horse’s owner in addition to the purse money for the horse to be able to participate in a stakes race.
Final Thoughts
The excitement and drama of a day at the races are often heightened when you place a wager but doing so can be scary unless you feel like you have a basic grasp of the chances. As you go to many horse racing events, take heed of the things listed above to know how to bet on horses.