LouLife

Now that you’re inside Churchill Downs, downing a mint julep and taking a break from celebrity watching, it’s time to take your chances with the reason everyone is all here: betting on the horses.

If you’re a seasoned veteran on horse racing, you probably have had your Derby horse picked out for weeks and know where to pick up a racing form before even arriving at the track.  However, if you’re new to horse racing or if this is your first trip to the Kentucky Derby and you want some hints or advice on how to bet, we’ve given you some good tips to cash in a ticket with the help of www.churchilldowns.com.

There’s no exact science to picking a horse or winning a lot of money at the track.  Some people pick a horse based on the jockey.  Some will pick the horse based on the color or the post position it’s in.  The Derby pros will place their wager based on other things such as the track conditions, the trainer and the horses’ pedigree and past performance. Whatever the method for your wagering madness, there’s no right or wrong way when it comes to the Derby!

First off, you’ll need to know what places are which:

1^st place is called: Win   (30% of favorites win on average)

2^nd place is called: Place   (45% of favorites win or place on average)

3^rd place is called: Show    (65% of favorites win, place or show on average)

As you walk up to the window, you’ll use the following verbiage to place your bet on your horse:

1: State the race number

2: State the amount of the wager

3: State the type of bet

4: State the horse number(s)

So, using the above example, if you want to bet $5 on the horse in the 8^th position of the Kentucky Derby to win, you’ll tell them:
“Race 10, $5 to win on 8”   (The Derby race is the 10^th race of the day)

Another popular bet is to use a horse “across the board”.  You are betting win, place and show on one ticket. You'll collect all three pay-outs if the horse comes in first; place and show if the horse comes in second, and show only if the horse comes in third.

Now that you know which places are what and how to tell the window clerk what you want to bet, you’re ready for the different kind of wagers.

Outside of betting on one horse to come in one place, you can bet on many horses to come in with different combinations.

Exacta:  Betting with two horses.  Those two horses must come in 1^st and 2^nd place in order.

Trifecta: Betting with three horses.  Those three horses must come in 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place in order.

Superfecta:  Betting with four horses.  Those four horses must come in 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th place in order.

To increase your chances of winning on any of the above scenarios, try “boxing” them.  This means you have chosen your multiple horses, but rather than betting which horse will come in each exact place, a “box” bet will allow the horses you’ve chosen to come in any order.  It will cost more money to bet, but will increase your chances of cashing in a ticket.  While the exacta is the most popular bet in racing, one of the hardest bets to win is the superfecta.   If it’s your first time at the track, a superfecta might be a bit ambitious, but an exacta is a perfect chance to try out an exciting bet and win some more money!

You can also try multiple race bets, where you are trying to pick the winners of several races in a row.  Each of these has great payouts, but also has a greater difficulty level:

Daily Double: Select the winner of two races in a row

Pick Three: Select the winner of three races in a row

Pick Four: Select the winner of four races in a row

Pick Six: Select the winner of six races in a row

Whatever you decide to do or how to bet your money on Derby day, remember to be responsible and stay within your own financial means and most of all… have fun!

For more information and other tips on horse wagering, go to www.churchilldowns.com.