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Breeders’ Cup: Betting 101

Even if you look like a high roller with your Prada shoes and Louis Vuitton bag, you still need to study the proper lingo before placing a bet—maybe then you’ll end up like a South Dakota man who nailed six Breeders’ Cup races in 2003 to turn an $8 bet into $2.6 million. If only
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  1. State which racetrack you are betting (“Santa Anita”).
    Insider tip: This is less obvious when off-track betting
  2. State the race number (“12”). See Fig. 1
    Insider tip: Don’t confuse with the horse number
  3. State the amount of your wager (“$10”).
    Insider tip: Bring your Thomas Jefferson bills as minimum bet is often $2
  4. State the type of wager you wish to make (“exacta box”). See Fig. 2
    Insider tip: Familiarize yourself with the most common bets
    • Win Your horse must finish first to collect
    •  Place Your horse must finish first or second to collect
    •  Show Your horse must finish first, second or third to collect
    •  Exacta You play two horses. They must come in first and second in EXACT order
    •  Exacta Box You play two horses. They must come in first and second in EITHER order
    •  TrifectaYou play three horses. They must come in first, second, and third in EXACT order
    •  Trifecta BoxYou play three horses. They must finish first, second, and third in any order to collect. Since this has multiple wagers in combination, it is a $1 minimum wager at most tracks
    •  Superfecta You play four horses. They must come in first, second, third, and fourth in EXACT order
    •  Superfecta Box You play four horses. They must finish first, second, third, and fourth in ANY order
  5. State the number of the horse or horses in the wager (“7 and 8”). See Fig. 3
    Insider tip: Don’t use the horse name, no matter  how fun it is to say