The Breeders Breeders of Thoroughbred racehorses have a motto: ‘Breed the best to the best, and hope for the best.’ Farms from California to New York, Florida to Maryland, are all trying to emulate what breeders in the state of Kentucky have done for centuries — produce champions. For breeders, the study of bloodlines is a way of life. The art of matching a dam (the horse’s mother) with a sire (the father) to produce a top foal is part art form, part science, and a great deal of luck. For instance, Aly dar, who finished second to Affirmed in all the 1978 Triple Crown races, sired a pair of Kentucky Derby winners in Aly sheba (1987) and Strike the Gold (1991); Affirmed has yet to sire a Derby winner.
After that colt (male) or filly (female) is born, the breeder puts in countless hours of hard work to get the horse ready for the races. While most thoroughbreds are born between January and June, they have a universal birthday of January 1. This standard was set up to simplify the process of creating races for horses of a certain age. (For example, the Kentucky Derby is restricted to three year olds). During the young horse’s first autumn, they are separated from the mother and grouped together with other ‘weaklings’; continuing to grow and learn. The following Spring, the developing horses, now known as ‘yearlings’ will begin to be taught the ways of the racetrack.
Beginning with the first days of placing a saddle on their back, they are being trained for a career at the races. The young horses begin training at on their ‘home’ farm or shipped to a training facility to be ‘broken’ for riding and eventually racing. Developing a good racehorse takes considerable time and patience. Training begins slowly, with light jogs and gallops around the track; developing a routine to get the horse accustomed to track life. Later, serious training begins; they start to put in longer gallops to build stamina, and work their way up to a ‘two-minute lick’, meaning a robust mile gallop in two minutes.
As it gets closer to their second birthday, the casual farm life has been left behind. Horses at this age now begin workouts, usually starting with 1/8 of a mile, called their first ‘blowout’, and working their way up as the day of moving from training center to racetrack nears. The Trainers While the jockey is usually the person that the racing fans most identify with, the single most important player in a racehorse’s life is the trainer. Trainers generally earn their money in two ways: through a ‘day rate’ they charge the owner (s) for day-to-day training; and ‘stakes’ they earn when their owner’s horse wins a race, usually 10% of the owners winnings.
The trainer is comparable to a team’s coach – continually trying to produce winners with a constantly changing bar nful of talent. For every horse in the barn, the trainer teaches them how to race, hones their speed, builds their endurance, sees to their care, and calls in help to heal their injuries. All horses possess a certain amount of class; ultimately telling in the level of race at which they will be successful. As a trainer begins to work with a horse, they assess that class and train accordingly.
For the fans, training is like practicing. Horses are trained almost every morning, when they are taken to the racetrack to walk, jog, gallop or workout, depending on their schedule. Workouts are the most noteworthy part of the training regimen. Shorter workouts (those a half mile or under) are designed to increase speed, while longer ones build stamina. As with any athlete, horses experience physical problems.
This is where the keen eye of an experienced trainer can significantly affect a horse’s career. Racehorses are by nature delicate, and by closely watching for and treating injuries before they become serious, the trainer will save his horse, owner and himself a lot of problems. For medical problems, trainers call in their veterinarian. At all racetracks, there are a group of vets who, usually working out of their vehicle instead of an office, travel through the barn area taking care of their clients’ horses day to day needs. After all of this, the trainer still has to select the races in which the horses will compete. Trainers use the condition book, created by the Racing Secretary, to select the type of race for each horse in the stable.
For example, if the horse has yet to win, it would be entered in a ‘maiden’ race against other non-winners. An old horsemen’s adage is to, ‘keep myself in the best company and my horses in the worst’. Easier said than done, but some trainers have the knack. For the bettor, it is essential to watch the trainers and see which ones are the most successful.
The track program has a stats page for trainers, with all the information needed evaluate when they are most successful. Knowing the trainers and being able to pick up on their hot and cold spells is a top priority in making winning selections at the track. The Jockeys Jockeys generally get their mounts in races when the horses are training each morning. A jockey employs an agent, who, working for a percentage of their rider’s winnings, tries to secure the best horse for them in each race. The tricky part for the agent comes when several trainers want their rider for the same race. Now the jockey’s agent is like any bettor – they are handicapping the horses and putting their rider on the most likely winner.
Riding atop a Thoroughbred at speeds up to 40 miles per hour for a mile or more requires tremendous athletic ability and concentration. The best jockeys are skillful strategists and superior gamesmen. They are experts at bringing out the best qualities of their mounts. Top riders are also familiar with the characteristics of many other horses in the race.
In addition to the athletic demands of racing, a jockey must maintain a certain weight for riding, normally between 100 and 115 pounds. Strict dieting and conditioning programs are a constant concern for most riders. Handicapping jockeys is easier than handicapping horses. Here are the basic rules: Some jockeys are better than others.
The better riders get to ride the better horses. Because they get the best horses to ride, the best jockeys win the most races. It’s a circle. As it is with breeding and training, success creates success. Next to the horse, in Thoroughbred racing, the public is most familiar with the jockeys. It’s important for bettors to know the top riders at a track.
The best will win the most races. However, there are trends that bear watching. Like the trainers, the program has a stats page that lets you know what the trends are for that meet. But watch out, just like trainers, jockeys get hot and cold. Recognizing these trends can bring profits at the betting window. The Horses The Thoroughbred breed originates from the Middle East, where centuries ago Arab rulers bred their great stallions to select mares in the hopes of producing faster and stronger horses.
The lineage, or family history, of a horse is known as its pedigree. Soon after a horse’s birth, the owner and / or breeder registers it with The Jockey Club, the official racing record keeping organization for the breed. What’s in a Name? Thoroughbred names can be classy, quirky, clever or just plain odd. Racehorse names can be no longer than 18 letters (this is so they can fit in the racing program) and must not contain profanity.
All names must be approved by The Jockey Club. To be approved, a horse’s name must be publicly available. Each year, thousands of names are released for public use by the Jockey Club. Some names, like Secretariat, are permanently retired and will never be used again. To register a horse’s name or check on the availability of a name, use the Jockey Club’s online names database. To get ideas for your horse name from those released each year, check the Jockey Club’s list of recently released names.
Some Thoroughbred owners delight in thinking up clever names for their horses. Often they combine elements of the mother and father’s names; sometimes they ” re just tongue-twisters. Owner Caesar Kimmel had track announcers all over the country tied up in fits when he named his top filly Flat Fleet Feet. The Thoroughbred On The Track Today, Thoroughbreds generally begin their racing career at age two (Remember, all racehorses have a universal birthday of January 1), and remain racing as long as they are main competitive or until retirement for breeding purposes. A Thoroughbred is not considered an adult horse until it is five years of age, so when they begin their career at age two or three, they are really just developing children and teenagers. Horses go through a lot of growing pains and changes during this time.
Often you will see precocious two-year-olds that are touted as next year’s Kentucky Derby favorite that end up no where to be seen come that first Saturday in May. Most everyone in racing will tell you that their dream is to see their horse in the Derby winner’s circle, but with some 35, 000 foals born in the United States each year, and only 20 maximum make it to the race, reality sets in quickly. So even if a horse doesn’t make the Derby, there are plenty of opportunities for a horse to be successful on the track. As a horse develops, it usually acquires a certain racing style; whether it is a front-runner or off-the-pace type, or maybe it prefers racing on turf rather than dirt.
There is the rare animal that is comfortable no matter how the race develops or on any type of track, able to adapt to every situation. Whatever their style, the bettor needs to compare it to the rest of the horses in the field and see how the race might unfold. Handicapping the horses and their styles is the toughest part of the game. If the animal could talk, handicappers would know exactly how every horse was feeling come race day, like a pro athlete in a pregame interview. Unfortunately, that luxury does not exist, so the bettors have to rely on their skills to pick a winner. Horses have tendencies, but they can be difficult to spot.
Good handicappers don’t get overwhelmed when they are dissecting a race; they don’t bet every race, rather wait for the best opportunity, when they find a horse or two they really like. The soundest advice would be to look at a horse’s record, also known as his past performances, and determine their chance of winning today’s race. The past performances are just that; they tell you what a horse has done his last several races. In addition, the program also has stats that tell you how they have performed on the dirt and turf courses, at the distance of today’s race, on an ‘off’ track (one not listed as fast), their race record for this year, last year, and lifetime, and recent workouts. All this information is there to help compare and contrast the horses in each race. Wagering Quick Guide The Traditional Wagers Bet type Difficulty Average Payoff Description Show Easiest $2.
10 – 4. 00 Finish 1 st, 2 nd or 3 rd and you win. The most conservative wager and best chance to cash a ticket. Place Easy $3. 00 – $8.
00 Finish 1 st or 2 nd and you win. Pays a little more than show. A hedge bet on your win money. Win Varies $4. 00 – $40. 00+ You must finish 1 st to collect.
Most traditional wager and still the best. Daily Double tough $20 – $200+ Select the winners of two races in a row. Your grandfather’s bet. The first and oldest exotic wager. Usually the first two and last two races. Exotic Wagers Single-race Bet type Difficulty Winning Payoff Description Exacta tough $15 – $150+ Your horses must finish 1 st and 2 nd in order.
The best chance to win a reasonable amount without betting a lot. The most popular bet in racing. Boxing the Exacta will help your odds of winning. Trifecta tougher $50 – $1, 000+ Your horses must finish 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd in order.
A very difficult bet but a chance at a home run. Su perfecta toughest $100 – $10, 000+ Your horses must finish 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd and 4 th in order. The grand slam. Extremely difficult, but it can pay great. For risk-takers. Multi-Race Bet type Difficulty Winning Payoff Description Pick Three tougher $50 – $1, 000+ Select the winners of three races in a row.
A purists’ bet. Essentially three win bets parlayed in a row. Pick Four toughest $200 – $2, 500+ Select the winners of four races in a row. Rapidly gaining in popularity. A good chance to win a lot with a little. Pick Six Like lotto $1, 000 – $1-million Select the winners of six races in a row.
The most difficult wager in racing. 204 – WIN Overview The win bet is the most traditional bet and definitely one of the best. Very simply, your horse must finish first to collect. Reading the Tote board To determine your winning payoff, multiply the odds on the Tote board by 2, and then add $2. The chart below lists odds and winning $2 payoffs.
Odds-on favorites Low-priced winners Mid-priced winners Longer prices Long shots 1-5 $2. 40 6-5 $4. 40 5-2 $7 7-1 $16 15-1 $322-5 $2. 80 7-5 $4. 80 3-1 $8 8-1 $18 20-1 $421-2 $3. 00 3-2 $5.
00 7-2 $9 9-1 $20 25-1 $523-5 $3. 20 8-5 $5. 20 4-1 $10 10-1 $22 30-1 $624-5 $3. 60 9-5 $5.
60 5-1 $12 11-1 $24 50-1 $1021-1 $4. 00 2-1 $6. 00 6-1 $14 12-1 $26 80-1 $162 Win betting strategies Because win betting is so simple, most win betting strategies revolve around which bets to combine with win, if any. Remember, the more different bets you make, the more losing tickets you will likely have at the end. The simplest (and sometimes the best) strategy is to bet your money on the winner. Betting Win and Place As a backup, some players prefer to bet to win and place.
This way if their horse runs second, they will collect the place payoff, which will hopefully pay for the losing win bet and a bit more. The problem with betting to win and place is that if your horse wins, you have just diluted your payoff when you could have bet twice as much to win. If you can’t decide between betting $10 to win or $5 to win and place, one part of this decision factor should be how big your bankroll is and how long you can go between winners. By betting to win and place, you are going to be more likely to cash some tickets along the way which can be more fun and will keep your bankroll afloat. Some players will bet to win and place simply because they will get too frustrated if they run second and this might affect their betting the rest of the day. Another backup strategy to win is to use the exact a as a place bet.
Win, Place and Show – Betting ‘Across-the-board’A popular wager is betting ‘Across the board’. This is similar to the win and place bet. If you think your horse will win, then you are actually lowering your payoff if you are right. However, if you think there is an equal chance your horse might finish 1 st, 2 nd or 3 rd, then the ‘across the board’ wager makes sense.
You call this bet out as ‘$2 across the board on #5’. Two Horses to Win Some expert players will recommend betting two horses to win in cases where you like two horses at a mid-priced range or higher. The net effect of this is to lower your odds on both horses, but you increase your chances to win. Don’t Forget to Bet to Win Today there are so many great exotic wagers to take advantage of, but it is important to remember to bet to win. Especially if you think you might have a winner at a good price. For instance, you might try for an exact a, trifecta or a Pick 3 with a 10-1 horse.
If you miss those payoffs, you might be kicking yourself if you don’t at least have a $10 win bet, which will return $110 and pay for a lot of those losing exact as, trifectas and Pick 3’s. Using Win Odds as a Barometer The win odds are the most widely seen odds at the track. These are the odds you see on the televisions and tote boards. Most all players judge which horses they wager in all other bets looking at the win odds. Keep this in mind as you look at other wagers.
For instance, a 30-1 shot might be the longest price on the board to win out of 10 horses, and for many players it will be the last horse they use in the trifecta. But just because he is the lowest rated horse to win, doesn’t mean that he automatically has the lowest chance to run third. The 30-1 shot could be a late runner that is likely to run 3 rd or 4 th, just unlikely to win. 203 – PLACE Next to the win bet, the Place wager is one of the oldest and most traditional. With a place wager, your horse must finish first or second. The wager pays the same whether your horse wins or not.
The place wager is a conservative wager, as you are giving yourself room for error since your horse can finish first or second. However, the payoffs are a bit lower since you are sharing the place payoff with another horse. Place wagers are most commonly used along with other wagers, such as ‘win and place’, ‘across the board’ or ‘win, place, and show’, or ‘place and show’. Place payoffs and results Place payoffs typically pay between $3.
00 and $10. 00, but can pay more with long shots and less with overwhelming favorites. Since the money you win in a place bet is generated by all of the money bet on the losing horses, the more horses in the race the greater your chances for a larger place payoff. Below are the win, place and show payoffs for the 2004 Kentucky Derby: 2004 Kentucky Derby payoffs $2 Win $2 Place $2 Show 15 Smarty Jones 10. 20 6. 20 4.
803 Lion Heart 8. 20 5. 8010 Imperialism 6. 20 For reference, the win odds were 4-1 on Smarty Jones, 5-1 on Lion Heart, and 10-1 on Imperialism. Reading the Tote Board One important distinction is that the Place pool is an entirely different pool than Win.
This means that horses may be bet differently in each of the pools. In a place wager, because you don’t know which other horse will place, it is difficult to predict your potential place payoffs. But, by comparing the place dollars to the win dollars, you can check the percentage of dollars on your horse to place. For example, looking at the #1 horse below, we can see that he has approximately 10% of the win pool, with $2, 011/$20, 000 = 10%. If we use the Win odds to as a yardstick, we would expect that the #1 would have about 10% of the Place pool bet on him, or $1, 000 of the $10, 000 Place pool. However, we can see that #1 has only $622 bet to place, or closer to 6% of the pool.
This means that the #1 is paying better odds in the Place pool. The #1 is 8-1 to Win, but he is being bet like a 14-1 in the Place pool and will pay more accordingly. This is like bargain shopping, when we get the value of a larger payoff when it ‘should’ offer a lesser payoff. The ‘should’ is based on the assumption that the Win odds are more correct that the Place odds. This is a logical assumption, however, since the Win odds are easier to see and more attention is paid to them, it is more likely that the Win odds are a truer reflection of the horse’s chances. Keep in mind that if the #1 wins he will still pay more to win than to place (because Place has to be divided with another horse), but the #1 is a good value in the Place pool.
In this case, it might make sense to bet the #1 only to Place. Odds Win Place 1 8 $2, 011 $6222 10 $1, 656 $1, 0423 5 $3, 602 $1, 8574 5-2 $6, 855 $3, 1145 10 $1, 543 $7556 18 $892 $4027 9-2 $3, 441 $2, 208 $20, 000 $10, 000 204 – Calculating Place (and Show) Payoffs In horse racing, the odds are determined by the betting public. The track takes in the money for all horses, takes a cut for the track, owners and state, and then returns the rest to the winners. The money bet on the losers is used to pay the winners. Place money is allocated in three basic steps: 1) A tax, usually about 16% is taken out of all place money bet. 2) Every bet on one of the two place horses get their $2 returned.
3) The remaining money bet on all the other losing horses is split up equally. If the winner is a long shot, there is a lot of money from the other horses to contribute to the winning share. But if the winner is a favorite, there is a lot less losing money to spread around to the winners. So if your horse places, the place price you get will depend somewhat on that other place horse. The less money bet on the other horse, the more money there is to split up both ways. The pie below represents the amount bet to place on each of the 7 horses in the race.
We can see that the #4 (yellow) has the most bet to place ($6, 855), while the #6 (black) has the least ($798). Low payoffs: For example, if the # 4 (yellow) and #3 (blue) both place, we can see that together the yellow and blue slices take up nearly half the pie. This only leaves half the pie to pay back to those who bet on #3 and #4, and the track still has to take out a tax. High payoffs: If #5 (green) and #6 (black) both place, see how there is much more of the pie to spread around to much fewer winners. This combination will create a higher payoff. Calculating Place Payoffs – Step by Step Let’s assume #1 and #4 run first and second.
The order does not matter. 1) First the tax is taken out. Let’s assume it is 16%. a. Multiply the tax by the total pool. $20, 000 x 16% = $3, 200.
b. Subtract the tax from the total pool. $20, 000 – $3, 200 = $16, 800. 2) Subtract the money to pay winners their $2 back. a. Add the winning place bets, $2, 317 (bet on #1) + $6, 855 (bet on #4) = $9, 172 b.
Subtract $9, 172 from the remaining money. $16, 800 – $9, 172 = $7, 6283) Split the remaining money equally between both horses. a. $7, 628 / 2 = $3, 814 for each horse 4) Allocate the winning money for each horse to the dollars beta. For #1: i. Divide $3, 814 by the $2, 317 bet on #1 = $1.
64. This is the winnings odds for a $1 payoff. ii. Next, we multiply $1. 64 by 2 to get a $2 payoff. $1.
64 x 2 = $3. 29. iii. Next, we add back the original $2 bet. $3. 29 + $2 = $5.
29. iv. Finally, the payoff is rounded down to the nearest 20 cents, to get $5. 20. b. For #4: i.
Divide $3, 814 by the 6, 855 bet on #1 = $0. 56. This is the winnings odds for a $1 payoff. ii. Next, we multiply $0. 55 by 2 to get a $2 payoff.
$0. 55 x 2 = $1. 11. iii.
Next, we add back the original $2 bet. $1. 11 + $2 = $3. 11.
iv. Finally, the payoff is rounded down to the nearest 20 cents, to get $3. 00. Place Payoffs – For each possible outcome Looking at the second chart below, note how place payoffs for your horse can change depending on which horse it places with. Note: The order of the place horses has no bearing on the payoffs. If #1 and #2 finish first and second, the order does not effect the place price.
Note, the lowest paying combinations are the #3 and #4 (highlighted in red), and the highest paying combinations are highlighted in green. Show Payoffs Show payoffs are calculated in the same way as place payoffs, except there is one more horse. Show payoffs pay less due to three main reasons: 1) The addition of one more winning horse 2) One less losing horse’s money to split up 3) The remaining money is split three ways instead of two Overwhelming Favorites The presence of overwhelming favorites (usually even money or less: odds of 1-1, 4-5, 3-5, 1-2, 2-5 or 1-5) can often drastically drive down the price of the other horses that place or show. The reason is simple. Let’s say a horse is 2-5 and 75% of the place money is bet on this overwhelming favorite, but you are considering a place or show bet on a 30-1 long shot. The problem is that if the favorite places or shows, only 25% of the dollars are bet on other horses.
So by the time the entire pool is taxed and the winners of both horses are returned their $2 bet, and then the remainder is split, there is very little left to go around. In these cases, a 30-1 long shot that would pay $62. 00 to win, might pay only $4. 00 to place and $2. 40 to show.
The end result is that place and show bets against overwhelming favorites is a bad idea IF you think the favorite is likely to place or show. 205 – The Exacta The exact a has overtaken the win bet as the most popular bet in racing. The exact a is a tougher bet than win, but it is still easy to play and easy to understand and it can pay very well. Description: Your horses must finish 1 st and 2 nd in exact order. Winning payoff: $15 – $150+Popularity: The most popular wager. About 30% of all wagers are exact as.
Frequency: Every race Minimum: $1 How to say the bet: ‘Arlington Park, Race 3, $2 exact a 5-8’Why bet an Exacta? As the Exacta is the most popular bet in racing, there are many good reasons and strategies for playing the exact a. Typical Exacta strategies: A fun, easy bet with good chances The exact a is fun! If you bet an exact a box, such as a $1 exact a box with three horses, you have many chances for only $6! With three horses in a box, you have some margin of error to be wrong with one horse. And best of all, the $2 exact a usually pays around $50 or $100 so you are giving yourself a chance to win big. If you include some long shots in your wager, you could be in line for even greater payoffs.
I don’t know who will win If you don’t have any good feelings on who will win, an exact a box of three or four horses can inexpensively give you a chance to win with several different combinations. Typical Exacta Strategies A fun, easy bet with good chances The exact a is fun! If you bet an exact a box, such as a $1 exact a box with three horses, you have many chances for only $6! With three horses in a box, you have some margin of error to be wrong with one horse. And best of all, the $2 exact a usually pays around $50 or $100 so you are giving yourself a chance to win big. If you include some long shots in your wager, you could be in line for even greater payoffs.
I don’t know who will win If you don’t have any good feelings on who will win, an exact a box of three or four horses can inexpensively give you a chance to win with several different combinations. I like more than one horse If you like two or three horses equally well, betting them in the exact a can be a good strategy. If you pick only one horse to win, you will lose if one of your other horses wins. You could also bet two horses to win, but that ensures that one ticket will lose. With an exact a box you are risking more because you need to finish 1 st and 2 nd, but the payoff will be greater if you are right. Win more for less The exact a is essentially a Win bet, plus correctly selecting the second horse.
If you think you have the winner identified, you are risking what you could win, but by limiting the horses that can run 2 nd you are risking more to win more. Advanced Strategies I think I know who will run 2 nd If you like a horse but think he will run second (maybe it’s not your day! ), you can always bet him in second place in the exact a. If the #4 is the favorite that looks The favorite is low-priced If the favorite is obvious and it won’t pay much to bet him to win, many players will use this as an opportunity to hit the exact a if they think they have a horse that will finish 2 nd. In this case, if you expect the favorite to win, you would not box the exact a. You would only bet the combination one-way or “straight.” (For example, $20 exact a 2-5; Total cost = $20. ) Exacta as a place bet Some players do not like to bet to place, and will use the exact a as a place bet.
The strategy usually starts with a horse that you bet to win. However, instead of betting win and place, you bet a few exact as with the horses that you think can beat you. For example, if you bet $20 to win on #3, and a $10 exact a 4-3, you are really making a back-up bet in case the #4 beats #3. This essentially removes the #4 as a horse to beat. As long as #3 beats everyone else in the race, you collect. If he beats the #4, you win, and if the race finishes 4-3, you hit the exact a.
Exacta Box Many people get confused by the different types of exact a bets – boxes and wheels. But, boxes and wheels are nothing more than a quicker way of shouting out the individual bets. A straight ‘exact a 3-8’, has only one combination. The #3 must win, and #8 must run second.
If you also bet an ‘exact a 8-3’, you have done the same thing as an ‘exact a box 3-8’, which gives 3-8 and 8-3. If you bet 3-8 and 3-9, you have done the same thing as an ‘exact a wheel 3 with 8-9.’ The exact a box is the simplest and most popular way to bet the exact a Bet What combinations you get Cost ‘$1 exact a box 1, 2’ 1 or 2 must win and finish second. Total cost = $2 ‘$1 exact a box 1, 2, 3’ 1, 2 or 3 must win and finish second. Total cost = $6 ‘$1 exact a box 1, 2, 3, 4’ 1, 2, 3, or 4 must win or finish second.
Total cost = $12 The exact a box is just a simpler way of saying all the combinations with your horses. It is easy because all numbers are covered in both first and second equally. The Exacta Box covers all combinations of your numbers Short way to say it Long way to say it Either way, Total cost’$2 exact a box 4-7′ ‘$2 exact a 4-7’ and ‘$2 exact a 7-4’ $4 ‘$2 exact a box 1-2-3’ ‘$2 exact as: 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2’ $12 Exacta Wheel With an Exacta Box, all horses are weighted equally and played in the same number of combinations. The Exacta wheel, is typically a more advanced strategy, where some horses may be limited to either first or second place. For instance, if you really like #4 to win, you can save money by only using #4 in the win spot.
Where a ‘$1 exact a box 1, 3, 4, 7’ has 12 combinations and costs $12, a ‘$1 exact a wheel, 4 with 1, 3, 7′ costs $3. This gives you less combinations, but saves a lot of money. Examples:’ Exacta wheel 4 with 1, 3, 7′ If you really liked #4, you could play an exact a wheel ‘4 with 1, 3, 7’. This means that #4 must win, and either 1, 3 or 7 must run second. This bet has three combinations. A $1 wheel costs $3 in this example.
‘Exacta wheel 1, 4 with 1, 3, 4, 7’ We could add the #1 to the first spot and #4 to the second spot: 1, 4 with 1, 3, 4 and 7. In this case, either 1 or 4 must win and any one of 1, 3, 4 and 7 must run second. This bet has six combinations. A $1 wheel costs $6. A $2 wheel costs $12. How much does a winning exact a pay? The exact a prices are determined by the betting pool, but here are some guidelines: o The more horses in the race, the more difficult the exact a is to predict and the better the payoff.
o The relative prices of the first and second horses. If they are favorites or low-priced contenders, the exact a will be more logical and there will be more winners thus reducing the winning payoff. o If the two exact a horses are of greatly different odds, such as 3-1 and 12-1, the exact a will pay much more with the longer priced horse winning. This is because that combination is was seen as less likely with fewer winning combinations.
The Exacta payoff grid The exact a grid below shows payoffs for an actual race. The grid is read with the first place horses listed in vertical columns and the second place finisher listed in rows. Notice how the lowest priced exact a of $15, highlighted in yellow, is the combination of 5-1. Looking at the win odds at the left, the #5 is the lowest-priced horse at 2-1, and the #1 is the second-lowest priced horse at 3-1. The highest paying exact a is the 3-6, which is paying $150 and highlighted in green. First Place Horse# Win odds 2 nd place 1 2 3 4 5 61 3 1 – 91 119 81 15 762 8 2 97 – 137 55 27 1043 12 3 105 101 – 81 62 1344 4 4 75 52 96 – 18 525 2 5 20 44 91 24 – 326 6 6 78 139 150 48 24 -Charts Here are a couple charts to see how the number of possible combinations goes up with the more horses in the race: This chart lists the number of possible combinations in a six-horse race: This chart lists the number of possible exact a combinations depending on the number of runners: Possible 1 st-2 nd combinations in a six-horse race 1-2 2-1 3-1 4-1 5-1 6-11-3 2-3 3-2 4-2 5-2 6-21-4 2-4 3-4 4-3 5-3 6-31-5 2-5 3-5 4-5 5-4 6-41-6 2-6 3-6 4-6 5-6 6-5 Total possible outcomes = 30 Number of horses in race Possible exact a combinations 4 125 206 307 428 569 7210 9011 11012 132301 – Turf or Dirt; Short or Long? One of the key handicapping tools is determining if a horse is racing on their preferred surface, at their best distance, and on….