Trifecta Horse
A trifecta is a bet where you must select the first three horses in correct finishing order. The cost of a trifecta bet is determined by multiplying the number of possible winning combinations from the selections by the bet amount. A trifecta is a permutation without repetition, so the number of choices reduces as each place is filled. Straight Trifecta Horse Racing Betting Example. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Imagine you have three horses you like in a particular race: “One Step for Man”, “Tannhauser”, and “Marengo”. Let’s say you pick a straight trifecta where One Step for Man wins the race, Tannhauser places, and Marengo shows.
A trifecta in horse racing is basically an exotic bet where you’ll be required to predict the first three horses to finish the race. You will also need to predict the finishers in the correct order before you will qualify for a payout. A trifecta bet is a type of bet known as a parimutuel. For this type of bet, the bettor needs to choose the horses they think will place first, second, and third. The horses must finish in that precise order. But, there is much more to the trifecta bet in horse racing. The Trifecta or Tricast is a wager laid in horse racing meant to pick the first, second, and third in the exact order they’ve finished the race. The Trifecta is one of the most popular exotic wager available in horse racing and so the use of a trifecta calculator, which is a horse racing calculator, is very common among punters.
Trifecta horse racing betting is a highly popular form of horse race betting among handicappers and experienced sports bettors. At a glance, it might seem near impossible to win this kind of wager, but a Trifecta horse racing bet can be extremely lucrative; hence the favoritism amidst veteran horse racing bettors.
What is Trifecta Horse Racing Betting?
A Trifecta is a complicated bet that requires the sports bettor to pick three animals in a single horse race, then pick the exact order in which they will Win, Place and Show (finish in first, second and third). The only way to win a Trifecta horse racing bet is to correctly predict the exact finishing order of all three horses.
If the horses each Win, Place and Show, but not in the order chosen, or if two of the horses finish in the order chosen but the third does not, the bettor will not collect anything on his or her wager. However, a winning Trifecta horse racing bet can have an extraordinary payout, and is where most horse racing bettors make their big bucks.
Above is an example of the “trifecta” menu at Bovada.lv where you can bet on any horse to either win, place or show. You will also get $250 free at Bovada for the Kentucky Derby.
Not convinced it’s worth it? Try this on for bankroll-size… At the 2005 Kentucky Derby, the finishing order was “1st Giacomo – 2nd Closing Argument – 3rd Afleet Alex. A simple $2 Trifecta bet on this combination paid an exorbitant $133,000! You can bet Trifectas at Bovada.lv online and test your luck.
Types of Trifecta Horse Racing Betting
There are three ways to place a Trifecta bet in horse racing betting:
Straight Trifecta
Trifecta Box
Trifecta Wheel
The minimum bet size is $2, so we’ll use a $2 bet in each of the examples below.
Straight Trifecta Horse Racing Betting
The Straight Trifecta bet is the basic wager described above, where a bettor picks 3 horses to finish in exact win, Place and Show order. The bet slip would show something like this: $2 Trifecta (6-2-4). This means that it is a Straight Trifecta bet on the #6 horse to win (first), the #2 horse to place (second) and the #4 horse to show (third).
Trifecta Box Horse Racing Betting
The Trifecta Box bet is the same as the Straight Trifecta bet except that it includes all possible win, place and show combination among the three chosen horses. There are six possible ways for three horses to finish, therefore the total bet would be $12 instead of $2 ($2 x 6 bets = $12).
Let’s say the bettor chose a Trifecta Box horse racing bet on (6-2-4). The $12 bet would include all of the following finishing orders.
Trifecta Box (6-4-2): 6-2-4; 6-4-2; 4-2-6; 4-6-2; 2-4-6; 2-6-4
It is also possible to add a fourth horse into the mix, such as (6-2-4-1), which would make the possible number of winning combinations 24, and the total purchase price $42. Be careful not to pick too many horses in a Trifecta Box as the price continues to climb.
5 horses = $120
6 horses = $240
7 horses = $420
8 horses = $672
The only way it would pay off to bet as much money as is involved in a 8-way Trifecta Box is if the win, place and show horses were long-shots to win (as in the case of the 2005 Kentucky Derby). If the horses finish in the originally favored order, you will be losing a lot of money!
Trifecta Wheel Horse Racing Betting
The Trifecta Wheel is used when you have a pretty clear idea of which horse will finish first, but aren’t so sure about second and third. Let’s say you think #4 is a sure fire winner, and you’re fairly certain #7 and #1 are going to follow, but not sure in which order. The Trifecta Wheel bet would be placed on 4-7-1 and 4-1-7, for a total $4 bet on two combinations. (See our Horse Racing Wheel Betting Article)
Maybe you think #4 might actually slip to second place, splitting #7 and #1 in first and third. You can extend the Trifecta wheel to cover 7-4-1 and 1-4-7 as well, totaling an $8 bet.
Trifecta Horse Racing Betting Payouts
Unfortunately, you cannot view the payouts for a Trifecta bet on the tote board at the track. There are simply too many possible combinations to bet on to display all of them. You have to gauge an expected payout range by observing which horses are expected to finish in the top three according to the odds and probably payouts on the tote board.
Ready to test your luck with a Trifecta bet? Click here for $250 free at Bovada for the Kentucky Derby
Whether you consider yourself a newcomer to horse race betting or a veteran with years of experience, everyone should have a basic understanding when it comes to placing a trifecta.
Even though trifecta betting is not the easiest wager type in the world, it remains an extremely popular choice among horse racing enthusiasts as it can potentially lead to enormously profits. In fact, it’s considered one of the best horsing bet types if you’re interested in winning big without risking too much of your own hard-earned money.
A trifecta bet will usually cost you a mere $2, and the potential returns you can make on such a small bet can be extraordinary.
For instance, during the Kentucky Derby in 2005, Giacomo had a 72/1 chance of winning. After he shocked the world with his victory, the trifecta payout was a whopping $133,134.80. It’s nearly impossible to find anything else that will pay this well from such a small bet amount.
Obviously, the payouts are not always this impressive when it comes to trifecta betting. The average payout of a trifecta is usually around $7,000 during the Kentucky Derby. However, that amount drops significantly once you start looking at other races from around the world.
It’s still worth mentioning, however, that you will only spend $2 on a trifecta bet.
So, even if your winnings are only a couple of hundred dollars, you will still make a sizable profit. For that reason, trifecta betting is not only popular with serious handicappers, but with casual bettors as well.
So, for an in-depth look at trifecta betting, read on. After explaining what trifecta betting is, we will walk you through how trifecta betting works and what the differences are between trifecta and boxed trifecta.
We will also help you to calculate trifecta bets and payouts and explain the differences between trifecta, superfecta, and exacta. Keep reading for some frequently asked questions surrounding this popular form of horse race betting, too.
What is a Trifecta?
A trifecta in horse racing is basically an exotic bet where you’ll be required to predict the first three horses to finish the race. You will also need to predict the finishers in the correct order before you will qualify for a payout.
If you are unable to correctly predict the first three finishers in the race, or you simply get the order wrong, you won’t win anything from your bet. As you can see, this is not a simplistic bet to make, which is why the payouts for this bet type can be astonishing.
The typical bet amount for a trifecta is around $2. However, you will find several horse racing events which will allow bets at a reduced cost. For instance, there’s a handful of horse racing events that will offer a $1 trifecta, or even a $0.50 trifecta. However, do remember that the potential payouts will also be reduced once the initial bet amount is reduced.
Now that you have a better understanding of what a trifecta is, let’s expand your knowledge even further by taking a look at the different types of trifecta bets.
Types of Trifecta Bets
You will essentially come across five different types of trifecta betting opportunities in horse race betting. This includes straight trifecta, boxed trifecta, trifecta key, trifecta boxed key and trifecta wheel. Let’s take a closer look at each of these trifecta betting types and explain them in more detail.
Straight Trifecta
This is the most simplistic type of trifecta bet. All you need to do is select three different horses and decide in which order they will finish the race. This can only be first place, second place or third place.
Example: Let’s say you select horse #4 to win the race, horse #6 to place second and horse #2 to place third. This means your betting slip will look similar to this: $2 Trifecta (4-6-2).
Boxed Trifecta
The boxed trifecta gives you more flexibility when compared to a straight trifecta. You will still need to select three or more horses to finish a race. However, you don’t have to predict the exact order in which they will finish, as long as the selected horses finish in the top three positions.
A boxed trifecta will cost you more than a straight trifecta, as you will need to pay for every combination. Even though the minimum bet for a boxed trifecta is only $1, you will need to pay a minimum of $6 if you select three horses.
Example: Let’s say you select horse #8, #6, and #3 to finish in any order with a boxed trifecta bet. You will need to pay $6 as the three horses can finish in six different combinations.
The more horses you select, the more combinations will be formed and the more you will need to pay.
For instance, a 7-horse trifecta box will come with 210 different combinations, which means you will need to pay $210 to cover your minimum bet.
Trifecta Key
This trifecta bet will require the ‘key’ horse to finish in first position, while the remaining horses you selected can finish in any combination to cover second and third place.
Example: Let’s say you select horse #8 as the key followed by horse #3, #5, and #4. At a minimum bet of $1, you will need to pay $6 to cover your bet. Your Key horse will need to finish in first place, while two of your other selected horses will be required to finish in second and third place before you can consider yourself a winner.
Trifecta Boxed Key
This trifecta bet will include all possible combinations where your key horse will be combined with all non-key horses in a single box bet.
Example: Let’s say you place a $1 Trifecta Boxed Key bet and you make your Key horse #8 along with horse #2 and #6. This means your total bet amount would be $6, as it will create a total of 6 combinations.
Trifecta Wheel
This trifecta betting type can either be a full trifecta wheel, or a part trifecta wheel. The easiest trifecta wheel will be the full trifecta wheel where you will need to select a single horse to finish the race in a specific position, while backing all possible combinations with all the other horses in the field.
Example: Let’s say you select horse #3 to win the race. However, you are struggling to predict which of the remaining horses will be able to finish in second or third position.
When this occurs, you simply place a full trifecta wheel bet that will look like this: 3-All-All.
This will basically cover all combinations with horse #3 in first position.
How Does Trifecta Betting Work in Horse Racing
Trifecta betting in horse racing is when you select three horses from a single racing event and predict which of the three horses will finish in first, second, and third position.
Please keep in mind, however, that your prediction needs to correct in both horse selection and the order in which they finish the race.
If your three selected horses finish in first, second and third (in the order you predicted), you will win. If one of your selected horses is not in the top three, or one of your selected horses doesn’t finish in the position your predicted, you will lose your bet.
What is the Difference between Trifecta and Boxed Trifecta
With a trifecta bet, you merely need to select three horses from a single event and ensure they finish in the top three positions in the exact order you predicted.
However, with boxed trifecta, there is no need to predict in what order the three horses will finish. You merely need to select three horses that you think will finish in the top three positions.
Boxed trifecta does give you more freedom and flexibility, but it will cost you more as you need to cover more combinations as opposed to only covering one combination with a standard trifecta bet.
How to Calculate Trifecta Bets and Payouts
Trifectas form part of the pari-mutuel betting system. This basically means the payouts for trifectas are not calculated using odds, but are instead shared among players in a betting pool.
Trifecta Horse Rehab
For each horse racing event, a new betting pool is created, and all the bets from trifecta tickets will be accumulated in the betting pool. The betting pool will then be shared with all winners at the end of the horse racing event.
Trifecta Horse Betting
Let’s take a look at a simple example to show you how this works:
- 100,000 trifecta tickets are sold for a horse racing event at $2 per ticket.
- The betting pool is worth $200,000 ($2 x 100,000 tickets)
- 100 bettors manage to correctly predict the top three finishers in the exact order.
- Each of the 100 tickets provides a payout of $2,000 ($200,000 ÷ 100)
Obviously, the breakdown of the above-mentioned trifecta bet will not be this straightforward in reality. Online betting sites will obviously take their cut and you will notice that not all trifecta tickets will come with a standard price of $2. But the above example does give you an indication of how trifecta bets are calculated and how the payouts are distributed towards winners.
Trifecta vs. Superfecta vs. Exacta
The main difference between an exacta, trifecta and superfecta is the amount of horses you’ll be required to bet on during a single horse racing event.
With an exacta, you will need to select two horses to finish in first and second position, in that exact order as well. With a trifecta, you will need to include three horses in your selection to finish in first, second, and third position, in that exact order.
A superfecta bet is considered the most difficult, as you will need to include four horses in your selection to finish in the top 4 positions, in the exact order as well.
Origins of the Trifecta Bet
Trifecta Horse Bet
The trifecta bet type was first introduced during the early 1970s and was derived from the bet type perfecta. A perfecta bet type, also known as an exacta, requires you to select two horses to finish in first and second place, in the exact order you predict.
Trifecta Horse Scratched
The term trifecta was introduced for bettors who wanted to select three horses to place in the top three positions, hence the term ‘tri’, which means three. The trifecta bet type was first used in the United States during 1971 at Arlington Park. In 1977, it was introduced in Australia at the New South Wales Tab, and in 1983 it was introduced in New Zealand.