Terms, recommendations, and explanations for horse racing betting 🏇

Here’s all you need to know about picking horses and betting on them ahead of the horse racing of the Kentucky Derby. Everyone’s thoughts wander to the three Triple Crown events — the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes — as they prepare to watch horse racing, although casually, for several weeks in May and June. So we realised that if you’re a casual watcher of the sport, it could be difficult to know where to obtain all of the information and data. Consider this a primer to help you look smart, wow your friends, and possibly even make a few dollars profit.

How to Select a Triple Crown Racehorse 🧐

There are numerous methods for handicapping a horse race in order to predict a winner. Some players rely solely on past performances, while others are pure physical handicappers (watching the horses prior to the race to determine which ones look the best), while others play pedigrees, while others compile their own speed and pace figures, and still others find new and inventive ways to select their horse. There is no one technique to handicap a race, but there are several fundamentals that every player should learn.

If you’re seeking for raw data, which is the lifeblood of horse racing handicapping, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with various websites, including the Daily Racing Form, Equibase, and Brisnet. Some of the information on these websites is free, while some demand a fee. Entries (including morning line odds), scratches and alterations, and results charts are often free. You must pay a price if you want Past Performances and additional handicapping items (clocker reports, pedigree data, etc.).

You can view entries, changes/scratches, and results charts without registering at Equibase. To access the fundamental data on Brisnet and the DRF, you must normally register. Registration is completely free.

For many horseplayers, the Daily Racing Form is the Bible, as it contains past performances for practically every race across the country. You can purchase a Racing Form in print at your local newsstand or petrol station (a Form Finder is available on their website), or you can download the Form from their website using their Formulator tool. Equibase and Bristnet both sell previous performance data; we’ve utilised Brisnet PPs in the past but haven’t tested Equibase’s. Most of these sites will have examples of their PPs, and if you want to acquire this type of information, it’s a good idea to examine what’s out there and what works for you.

Horse racing, more than any other sport, lends itself to a plethora of persons attempting to sell a smorgasbord of information to participants. Tip sheets, data programmes, betting techniques, pedigree analyses, and so forth. Some of the material available is excellent, while others are utter nonsense. If you’re new to this game, take it slowly at first. Pick up a Form and work your way through it piece by piece. As you progress through the game, you’ll learn what information you need and what information is a waste of money.

The four foundations of horse racing handicapping 🎯

Learning to read the form, in our opinion, is the first stage in the development of a handicapper. Even if you use other methods than prior results to handicap a race in the future, learning how to read a racing form — whether it’s a DRF, Brisnet, Equibase, or something else new — will provide a solid basis for your handicapping knowledge.

All organisations that offer past performance typically have “How To” manuals that explain what all of the symbols and numbers on their forms mean. A form can be scary if you don’t know what the names and numbers mean, but if you grasp the vocabulary, it can be as beautiful as a precious work of art.

Reading a racing form can help you grasp the four key handicapping pillars: speed, pace, form, and class. Simply put, “speed” refers to how fast the horses run throughout the race; “pace” refers to how fast the horses run at different points of the race; “form” refers to the horse’s current condition and whether it has been running well or poorly in recent races; and “class” refers to the level of competition a horse has faced. A collection of past performances provides clues to all four handicapping pillars, which the player must decode in order to create a winning bet.

Learning to read a set of past performances is not difficult, but it must be practised over time. Once you’ve mastered a grasp of what the data represents, you may decide how much weight you want to give specific aspects when making wagering judgments. You’ll also begin to create your own handicapping technique, which is when the game becomes a lot of fun — when you begin picking winners based on your own theories and conclusions.

How to Stream or Watch Live Horse Racing 🎥

If you want to watch live racing from the comfort of your own home, you have two options: watch on one of the two racing-related TV channels, or watch live streaming video over the internet.

Television Games (TVG) and TVG2 are the two horse racing channels. Both networks carry live simulcast feeds from the courses, as well as on-air personalities who handicap the races throughout the day. Most cable companies provide TVG, however many bundle it with a sports package or something similar.

If you don’t have TVG through your cable or satellite provider, you may still watch all the action on the internet. A few tracks offer free live video streaming (too few, if you ask me). For example, at Tampa Bay Downs, you may browse to their website and watch all of their races live. They also give away free replays. During their spring and fall meets, Keeneland also offers live steaming.

If you are a registered user of a wagering website, you can usually watch the action from all tracks on the internet. The following section is about wagering websites, also known as ADWs.

Where can I place my horse racing bets? 📍

While watching horse racing is fun, the ultimate joy of the game is being able to put your money where your mouth is and wager on the horses. If you want to bet on all the action but don’t want to drive to your local track or OTB AND live in a state that allows ADW (Advance Deposit Wagering), you can do so via the internet or over the phone through one of numerous services.

The following is a list of some of the more popular ADWs that individuals utilise to gamble. Every site is different; some offer free video streaming, while others charge a monthly fee or a “per wager” cost based on your handle, and yet others offer rebates based on how much you gamble. If you decide to work with an ADW, make sure you study all of the laws and regulations. Many ADWs are transitioning to no wagering fees and free video, but you should always do your research before taking the plunge.

Furthermore, unlike TV networks, not all ADWs carry every tune. Check what tracks each site enables you to bet on because you don’t want to join up with an ADW that doesn’t let you to bet on Keeneland if you enjoy betting on Keeneland.

[Note: If you’re unsure whether your state enables you to gamble using an ADW, you can easily find out. Visit one of the websites and attempt to sign up. When you enter your address, the system will tell you whether or not you may place bets. In addition, an ADW will request your Social Security number. They must do so because they are required to report to the IRS any winners over $600 and to withhold taxes on winnings exceeding $5,000. If you hit a $1,000 trifecta, the amount is reported to the feds. If you strike a $10,000 superfecta, you’ll have 25% deducted from your winnings before they’re transferred into your account.]

The following is a small list of the most well-known ADWs. There are many others available, some of which are good and others of which are not so nice. We make no claims regarding any of these; some we’ve used before, others we’ve never played with.

How to Place a Horse Racing Bet 📝

Terminology in Sports Betting

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s look at the betting jargon and the many types of bets that may be placed on an equine athlete. On Derby Day, Churchill Downs offers a plethora of wagering options, which are detailed below:

WIN: A wager on a horse to win (if you don’t know what this means, you probably shouldn’t be betting).

A bet on a horse to finish first or second.

SHOW: A wager on a horse to finish first, second, or third.

Those are the usual bets that everyone is aware of. They are simple, straightforward, easy to determine the cost of, and simple to make. When it comes to exotic bets, things start to get a little more tricky. Churchill Downs is offering the following exotic wagers this weekend:

EXACTA: A bet on who will finish first and second in a race.

TRIFECTA: A bet on the first, second, and third place finishers in a race.

SUPERFECTA: A bet on the first, second, third, and fourth place finishers in a race.

DAILY DOUBLE: A wager on the outcome of two races, usually two consecutive races.

PICK 3: A wager on the outcome of three successive races.

PICK 4: A wager on who will win four consecutive races.

PICK 5: A wager that predicts the winners of five consecutive races.

PICK 6: A wager on who will win six consecutive races.

The odds: how much you stand to win

Wagering on horses is done through pari-mutuel wagering, which is a wagering method in which each participant bets against other players rather than the house. The track keeps a percentage of the overall pool (typically 15 to 20%), and the balance is distributed to all players who have winning tickets. The odds indicate how much of the total pool each horse will receive. Because the track take is included, the total usually exceeds 100 percent. The odds-to-percentage conversion chart for normal horse racing odds is shown below.

Simply divide the numerator of the odds by the denominator, multiply that number by the amount bet, and then add the amount bet to figure out how much you’ll get paid if you hit your win bet.

A $2 win bet on a horse with odds of 4/1:

$10 = 4 x 2 + 2

A $10 victory bet on a horse at 7/2 odds is worth $45: 3.5 x 10 + 10.

Because tracks do not indicate the odds on place and show bets, calculating rewards is more complex. They usually pay less than half of the winning odds (unless the horse is a tremendous longshot and the favourite fails to finish in the top three).

Exotic payouts are a mixed bag; tracks display “Will Pays” for exactas and daily doubles, but you won’t know what your trifecta, superfecta, Pick 3, etc., will pay until the sequence is over. In general, trifectas and superfectas will return bigger amounts; nevertheless, playing all of the favourites in a trifecta will generally return a tiny amount, especially when compared to the cost of your wager. If you spend $120 on a superfecta box with a number of low-priced horses, you’ll be pretty unhappy if it hits. Finding some longer priced horses to play alongside shorter priced ones is the key to hitting higher scores.

How much will it set you back from horse racing betting? 💰

We have all of these exotic bets where you try to predict the finish order or the winners of many events. Many first-time bettors believe that playing an exacta (or tri, or any other exotic) involves only two (or three, or four) horses. You can choose as many horses as you want, but the more horses you choose, the more expensive your ticket will be. The first step in evaluating the cost of a certain bet is to understand the minimum amount required for each wager. The following are the minimum sums required for each bet available at Churchill Downs:

Win, Place, and Display: $2

$2 Straight; $1 Wheels and Boxes Exacta

$0.50 for a trifecta

On Derby Day, the superfecta is $1.00 (the minimum is $0.10).

Pick 3: $1, Pick 4: $0.50, Pick 5: $0.50, Pick 6: $2

“BOX” and “WHEEL” are two more exotic betting words that are significant to wager cost, and they apply exclusively to exactas, trifectas, and superfectas.

BOXED bets mean that your picks can finish in any order. For example, suppose you prefer the #1, #2, and #3 and want to play them in an exacta but don’t know which one to pick first (to win). You could enter those three horses in an exacta and win if any of them finished first and second.

A WHEEL (or PART WHEEL) differs from a box in that it requires the selection of different horses for each place of the wager. For example, suppose you believe the #1 will win but believe the #2, #3, and #4 will finish second. In that case, you’d bet an exacta wheel, with the bet set up to pay if the #1 wins and either 2-3-4 finish second. You would not win with that exacta wheel if any of the numbers 2-3-4 won and the number one finished second.

“Why would anyone NOT box an exacta, trifecta, or super if our picks can finish in any order, whereas with a wheel there is less tolerance for error?” you may ask. The quick explanation is that boxing a bet is more expensive.

Straight bets are simple to calculate: a $20 win bet will cost you $20. There is no problem there.

A box bet is computed by multiplying the bet amount by the total number of horses chosen, then by the total number of horses chosen, minus one. Or, to put it another way:

1-2-3-4-5 are the options (five horses)

Cost of a $1 Exacta Box: $1 x 5 x 4 = $20

Does that make sense? You compute the cost of trifecta and superfecta boxes in the same way, but you subtract one from the total number of horses in each leg. As an example:

1-2-3-4-5 are the options.

Cost of a $1 Trifecta Box: $1 x 5 x 4 x 3 = $60

1-2-3-4-5 are the options.

Cost of a $1 Superfecta Box: $1 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 = $120

Because you’re playing every potential combination with those numbers, you can see how the expenses start to grow in a box situation.

The cost of a WHEEL bet is kept low, but you must pick which horses you like in certain situations. Consider the preceding scenario once more. Assume you favour the #1 and #2 to win, but believe any of the other five may finish second. Here’s how you’d figure out how much the bet would cost:

1-2 to finish first, 1-2-3-4-5 to finish second

Exacta Wheel for $1 Price: $1 x 2 x 4 = $8

You compute the wager by multiplying the number of horses in the first leg by the number of horses in the second leg, minus one, because you are using the 1 and 2 in both the win and place slots. If you removed the 1 and 2 from the second slot but used five horses, the bet would be as follows:

Selections: 1-2 for first place, 3-4-5-6-7 for second place.

$1 multiplied by 2 multiplied by 5 equals $10.

Because you are playing fewer combinations, an exacta wheel bet costs approximately half as much as a box bet. There is a bigger risk, but the benefits (and profit margin) are higher because you are not wasting money on combinations that you do not believe will produce results.

(As an aside, if you were at the track or an OTB and wanted to place either of those exacta bets in person, you would walk up to the window and say, “Track Name, Race Number: $2 Exacta Box, 1-2-3-4-5” or “Track Name, Race Number: $2 Exacta, 1 and 2 with 1-2-3-4-5.” Separating horses from the first, second, third, or fourth positions to the clerk is done by saying “with.” Also, always double-check your ticket before leaving.)

The same formula is used to calculate trifecta and superfecta wheels as it is for exacta bets. However, if you prefer an easier way to calculate your bets, there are a number of wagering calculators available on the internet, including an excellent one at WinningPonies.com.

So, now that we’ve covered the vertical exotics (exacta, trifecta, and superfecta), let’s move on to the horizontal bets, which are some of the most popular at the track. A horizontal wager is any bet that involves wagering on multiple races rather than simply one. A Pick 4, in which you attempt to predict the winners of four consecutive races, is a horizontal wager that can pay out handsomely depending on the odds of the horses who win throughout the sequence. You can choose as many horses as you wish, as with other wagers, but the cost of your ticket increases with each horse added to the mix.

Assume you’re looking at a four-race sequence in which you prefer the horses in each race:

Race 1: 1-2, Race 2: 1-2-3-4, Race 3: 1-2-3-4, Race 4: 1-2-3-4, Race

Race 3: 1; Race 4: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7; Race 5: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7; Race 6: 1-2-3-4-5

To win a Pick 4 wager with the horses listed above, you must have at least one of your selections win in each leg; it’s that simple. Using only one horse in a race, like in the third race in our example, is referred to as “singling” a horse. Singles are essential because they help to lower the cost of your ticket.

The cost of a vertical wager is simple to calculate: simply multiply the bet amount by the number of selections in each leg. Using our previous example, a Pick 4 ticket would cost the following.

Pick 4: $0.50 $28 = $0.50 x 2 x 4 x 1 x 7

The power of the “single” should be evident; if we had chosen two, three, or four horses in that third race, the cost of our ticket would have been doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. It is not needed that you utilise a single policy; if you have the money to spend and want better coverage, go ahead and do so. However, most players prefer to locate one race in which they have a prime single so that they can employ more horses in races where things appear to be more open.

Furthermore, you are not required to play each wager to the minimal amount. Our Pick 4 example above might be played with a $1, $2, or whatever base you prefer. Of course, the higher the starting price, the more expensive your ticket.

Terminology of Breeding 🔥

Thoroughbred racing is so dominating in America that some bettors mistakenly believe that any well-bred racehorse is a Thoroughbred. Thoroughbreds are, in fact, just one of several prominent breeds around the world. A vocabulary of racehorse breeds, sexes, and genders is provided below.

Breeds

• American Quarter Horse o Quarter Horses are the track’s “drag racers.” The horses, who lack size and endurance, are instead developed for sheer short-distance speed. Quarter horses have been reported to attain speeds of 55 miles per hour, which is approximately 30 miles per hour quicker than the world’s greatest sprinters.
• Arabian o Arabians are beautiful, slim horses that stand 14 to 15 hands tall (see below for definition). Despite the fact that the animals have been bred for at least 5000 years, the origin of the breed remains a mystery.
• Standardbred o Slightly smaller than Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds have a lower centre of gravity and a lean frame that makes them ideal for harness racing. Also known as “trotters.”

Thoroughbreds are by far the most popular racehorse breed in North America and the Middle East. Thoroughbreds are huge horses that weigh an average of 1,000 pounds when mature and are revered for their energy and racing prowess.

• Warmblood o “Warmblood” refers to a group of lesser-known breeds like as the Hanoverian, Holsteiner, Oldenburg, and Trakehner. Many equestrian riders choose warmblood horses for displays and jumping competitions.

Terminology for Horse Gender

• Colt o A male horse under the age of four. Colts have an advantage in flat racing and make up the majority of champion racehorses in the United States.
• Filly o A female horse under the age of four.
• Gelding o A male horse that has been castrated. The procedure is supposed to make horses gentler and easier to work with, which is beneficial in show riding and jumping.
• Mare o A female horse that is at least four years old.
• Brood Mare o A mare whose primary purpose is breeding.
• Stallion o A male horse over the age of four.
• Stud o A stallion principally utilised for breeding.

Lineage and Pedigree

• Dam o A racehorse’s mother.
• Damsire o The sire or maternal grandsire of the horse’s dam.
• Distaff o The female lineage of a horse.
• Foal o The young offspring of a dam.
• Pedigree o A horse’s family tree. Some pedigrees can be traced back to the Middle Ages.
• Offspring o A horse’s offspring.
• Sire o A racehorse’s father.

Track and Racing Terminology📋

The lingo you’ll need to sound like a racing expert can be found here.

A to Z of Racehorses and Racing

• Action o This can be perplexing. The type and volume of bets placed on a favourite or underdog is referred to as betting “action.” However, “activity” on a track relates to an animal’s running stride.
• All-Out o A performance in which a horse gives his or her all.
• Bad Actor o A horse who exhibits poor behaviour both on and off the track.
• Bad Doer o A horse who has a bad appetite.
• Bald o White on a horse’s face, nostrils, or the area surrounding its eyes.
• Bearing o A horse’s journey around the track. Bearing in or out indicates that the racehorse is zigzagging and may be ridden by a less-than-stellar jockey.
• Beyer Speed o A measure of the speed of a Thoroughbred. The computation takes into account the horse’s time, the race time, and the track conditions.
• Blind Switch o When a horse is caught behind or between horses and cannot take a free course.
• Bobble o A stumbling at the start of a race caused by a mushy track spreading away from the horse’s hoof as it takes its first stride.
• Bottom Line o When you hear a handicapper mention the bottom line on a Thoroughbred, you may interpret it as a last word. It actually refers to breeding on the mare’s side of the family.
• Checked o When a jockey pulls up on a racehorse.
• Closer o A horse that performs best in the last stages of a race.
• Conformation o The overall shape and body of a horse.
• Dead Heat o When two horses appear to be perfectly tied at the wire, or finish.
• Dropdown o When a racehorse competes against a weaker field than usual.
• Extended o A horse that has been trained to run at top pace for a longer period of time than usual.

F to P Racehorses and Racing ✔️

• Faltered o When a horse is in contention early on but falls back to the group by the final stretch.
• Field o The horses who compete in a race.
• New o A horse that hasn’t been ridden much. I’m well rested.
• Front-Runner o A horse that typically blasts out to an early lead in races.
• Gait o The motion of a racehorse as it runs or trots.
• Graduate o A horse that wins its first race at a new level of competition or just moves up to the next level is referred to as a graduate.
• Hand o A 4 inch unit used to measure the height of horses.
• Handicap (racing) o Extra weights carried by a horse during a race to level the playing field.
• In the Money o Coming in first, second, or third place in a sweepstakes.
• Inquiry o An examination of a race to determine whether a rule was breached.
• Jog o A steady, easy gait.
• Jumper o A steeplechase-bred horse.
• Length o The length of a horse measured from head to tail.
• Maiden o A horse or jockey who has yet to win a race.
• Make a Charge o To put on a charge in the middle of the race or in the final stretch.
• Money Rider o A racehorse who has “money” in large sweepstakes.
• Morning Glory o A horse/rider combination that appears fantastic in morning sessions but flops in races.
• Mudder o A racehorse that thrives on a muddy track.
• Near Side o The horse’s left side, on which he is mounted.
• Nose o The smallest distance a racehorse can cover to win. In England, this is referred to as having a “short head.”
• Off-Side o A horse’s right side.
• Overland o Racing outside the other horses.
• Pacer o A Standardbred racehorse trained in harness racing for a “pacing” gait (see immediately below).
• Pacing o One of the two gaits unique to harness racing. Pacers move laterally, with their right legs leading the way.
• Photo-Finish o A finish that is so close that the winner can only be confirmed by examining images.
• Finishing in second place
• Post Position o The stall assigned to a horse at the gate.
• Proposition o Not to be confused with “proposition bet.” A horse that refuses to run out of the gate with the rest, such as Thunder Snow in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.

Q to Z of Racehorses and Racing 📢

• Quarter Crack o An injury in which the wall of the horse’s hoof cracks.
• Rabbit o A horse entered in a race as an intentional front-runner in order to exhaust the competitors.
• Rail Runner o A racehorse who loves to run on the inner rail of the track.
• Refuse (or Refused) o When horses do not leave the starting gate at all.
• Rogue o An unruly horse.
• Romp o To win quickly and easily.
• Scratch o To withdraw a horse from a race.
• Short o A horse that requires extra training before winning a race.
• Display o To place third
• Shut Off o Encircled by other horses and unable to gain position. Also referred to as “pocked.”
• Stable o A consistent contender.
• Quarter Horse Speed Index o A numerical rating of Quarter Horse speed similar to Beyer Speed ratings.
• Stayer o A good racer for longer distances; a horse with stamina.
• Taken Up o In close quarters, a jockey pulls up sharply on a horse.
• Timeform o In the United Kingdom, a measure of Thoroughbred speed. Comparable to Beyer Speed ratings in the United States.
• Topweight o The most weight a horse carries in a handicap race.
• Trotter o A Standardbred horse taught to run in a harness racing-specific diagonal gait.
• Trotting o A harness racing gait in which Standardbred horses swing their legs in diagonal pairs.
• Punishment o A horse being beaten or otherwise forcefully driven.
• Winded o A horse who is fatigued and struggling to breathe after a race.

Equipment and Tracks 🧰

• Backstretch o A long straightaway on a flat track’s far side.
• Bit o A instrument used by jockeys that inserts into a horse’s mouth and connects to the bridle. The bit’s primary function is to aid the jockey in controlling and steering his horse.
• Blinkers o Wearable equipment used to limit a horse’s vision and minimise distractions.
• Clubhouse Turn o The turn immediately adjacent to the clubhouse, which is frequently beyond the finish line.
• Dirt Track o America’s time-honored natural surface for flat-track racing. Natural surfaces allow Thoroughbreds to run faster on average than synthetic surfaces.
• Fast Track o A dry, hard dirt track in ideal running conditions.
• Furlong o 660 feet, or one eighth of a mile.
• Good Track o A race track that is slightly wet but still gives good traction.
• Half a mile, or four furlongs.
• A muddy track with slow, sloppy footing.
• Muddy o A track that is exceedingly heavy and soaked with water, ideal for “mudders.”
• Paddock o The location where horses are housed prior to posting (see below).
• Pole o A marker placed along the track to indicate the remaining distance to the finish.
• Position A at the starting gate.
• Post Parade o The process of walking horses from the pasture to the gate.
• Saddle Cloth o The saddle cloth, which is attached beneath the saddle, displays the horse’s post position number.
• Sloppy o A track that is wet on the surface but dry beneath.
• Slow o A track that is just damp enough to slow the race down.
• Stick o A jockey’s whip is another term for a stick.
• Stretch o On a flat track, the last straightaway. “And they’re coming down the stretch!”
• Stretch Turn o The track’s final bend before entering the stretch.
• Sulky o A cart drawn by harness racers on Standardbred horses.
• Synthetic Track o Usually created of Polytrack or Tapeta, “synth” tracks are not as quick as dirt tracks but are deemed safer for the animals by most trainers.
• Turf Course o A course made of natural grass. Turf courses are common at steeplechases (see below) and are slower than dirt tracks.

Horse Races and Their Varieties 🐎

• Flat-Track Racing o The most common type of racing seen around the world, flat-track racing is typically held on an oval. Turf is more frequent in the United States, while dirt flat tracks are more typical in the United Kingdom. A flat oval track is also used for harness or “trotter” races. The Triple Crown consists of the three most prestigious yearly Thoroughbred races in the United States: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. Flat races range in length from 440 yards to 2 12 miles. The Kentucky Derby is run over a distance of one and fourteen miles.
• Harness Racing o A type of horse racing in which Standardbreds pull a cart (sulky, see above) and run at a predetermined gait. Trotting and pacing are two racing gaits. Trotters move their legs in diagonal pairs, leading with the right front and left hind and striking the ground with the left front and right hind at the same time. Pacers travel laterally, first with their right front and right hind, then with their left front and left hind.
• Steeplechase o A steeplechase is a type of horse race in which Thoroughbred horses jump over hurdles. Horse races from church steeple to church steeple first appeared in 18th century Ireland. A steeplechase is any race in which horses jump over hurdles, however steeplechase obstacles are always set and tend to be taller in the United Kingdom. The Grand National at Aintree is the most prestigious steeplechase in the world, known as the “Biggest Race of All” in the United Kingdom.
• Endurance Riding o An endurance ride is a timed test of a horse and rider over a predetermined path carved into natural terrain. Arabians are said to be the best breed for the task. Endurance rides are not popular with gamblers, but they are regarded as a labour of love and an important part of equine riding history.
• Racing Quarter Horses on Short Tracks o

Quarter Horses are the horse racing world’s sprinters, participating on courses as short as 100 yards. They can, however, run as long as 400 yards in a single race. Quarter Horse races can only last a few seconds!

Terminology for Horse Race Betting📙

Study these phrases to gain a better understanding of handicappers, horse racing blogs, and, of course, the regulations and computations at the track when betting on the horses.

• All-In o A wager on a horse to win, place, and show. If the horse finishes first, the gambler receives all three rewards. If it finishes second, it receives both the Place and Show payouts; if it finishes third, it receives only the Show payout.
• Board o A digital sign that displays odds, betting pools, and other information.
• Card o A series of races with odds and betting available at the same track on the same day. Local tracks throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia use this standard.
• Combination Wager o Any wager on two or more horses.
• Daily Double o Not to be confused with a special round on “Jeopardy,” the Daily Double requires bettors to correctly predict the winners of two consecutive races in order to win a large payment.
• Exacta o A bet in which the gambler selects two horses to finish first and second, in that order. The bettor has the option to “box” the exacta, which means that the horses can finish in any order and still create a winning ticket.
• False Favorite o A racehorse with short odds to win due to hype rather than previous success.
• Handicap (betting) o Predicting which horses or horses are most likely to win and which bets are most likely to win.
• Lock o A handicapper’s word for a “sure thing” winner who is unbeatable. (Also see: Easter Bunny.)
• Pick 3 o A wager in which three successive winners are chosen on the same day.
• Pick 4 o A bet in which four consecutive winners must be chosen.
• Pick 6 o A bet in which six consecutive winners must be chosen. One of the most significant potential jackpots in horse racing betting.
• Place Wager o A wager that pays off if the picked horse finishes first or second.
• Quinella o A wager in which the first two finishers must be chosen in any order, comparable to a “boxed” exacta.
• Racebook o A betting book that specialises in horse race odds and markets.
• Show Wager o A wager that the gambler’s horse will finish “in the money,” that is, first, second, or third.
• Straight Wager o A wager on a single horse.
• Superfecta o Another long-odds jackpot potential, the superfecta requires the gambler to select the race’s top four finishers in order.
• Trifecta o A wager that selects the top three finishers in exact order.

Other related articles:

• Heinz Bet
• Flag Bet
• Super Flag Bet
• Lucky 31 Bet