Beginner’s Guide to Betting the Kentucky Derby
Written April 30, 2009 by Steve Janus
Sometimes it is easy to forget that not everyone has experience in wagering on horses, and I know that it can be a little bit intimidating if it is your first time. Since the Kentucky Derby is the most popular of any horse race throughout the year, we’ll use it to try and get some information on betting horses out there. Note that these types of wagers can be used for betting on just about any type of horse race, but you can definitely bet them in the Kentucky Derby as well!
Horse Racing Wager Types
Win: If you bet a horse to win and your horse finishes first, your bet is a winner. It’s as easy as that!
Place: With this bet your horse needs to finish first or second for you to have a winning ticket. Keep in mind that the payout may be lower because it is split two ways.
Show: A “Show” bet means you’ll bet your horse to finish either first, second, or third. You’ll win if it finishes in any of the three places, but of course the payout is lower because you have more chances to win.
Exacta: A two horse bet. You are betting on which horse will finish first and which horse will finish second in the race. Both horses must come in exactly how you bet them for your exacta to win.
Trifecta: Similar to an exacta only with three horses. Predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in the exact order that they actually finish and your trifecta is a winner.
Superfecta: You guessed it. The superfecta involves you picking the exact outcome of all four of the top four finishers in the race.
Boxing Your Bet: This is where a lot of people get lost, but it’s actually much easier to understand than you might think. If you box your exacta, trifecta, or superfecta, you don’t have to get the order of the horses correct, you just have to pick the right horses. For example, an Exacta Box on the #2 and #5 horses would mean that those horses just need to come in first and second in any order. Just keep in mind that these wager cost much more than your straight bets because you are increasing your chances of winning.
There you have it. Hopefully for any newcomers out there this helps them to better understand how to bet on this year’s Kentucky Derby, or to at least learn some of the lingo so you know what people are talking about! Thanks for reading and good luck!
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If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- 2009 Kentucky Derby Betting Guide
- 2009 Kentucky Derby Props
- 2009 Kentucky Derby Results
- Odds to Win the 2009 Kentucky Derby
- 2009 Kentucky Derby Predictions
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