How the Cost of Your Wager is Calculated

With a Quinella Box, you'll win if any two of the horses you select finish first and second. For example, if you box the #3, #4 and #5 horses, you'll win if the first two finishers are 3-4, 4-3, 3-5, 5-3, 4-5 or 5-4. Rather than paying for each combination, you pay for each pair of horses (i.e., half as much as an equivalent Exacta Box).

You can box as few as three horses or as many as the field. See Boxes to learn how to place a Quinella Box.

Formula: (number of horses in box) x (number of horses in box minus 1) x (dollar amount of bet)/2 = total cost of bet

Examples: Box three horses: (3 x 2 x $2/2) = $6.00
Box five horses: (5 x 4 x $2/2) = $20.00

If you've determined the best horses in the race but aren't sure which one will win and which one will finish second, you may want to place an Exacta Box. For example, if you box the #4 and #5 horses, you'll win if the first two finishers are 4-5 or 5-4 (like a Quinella, except that you are actually placing two bets and are paid from the Exacta pool rather than the Quinella pool).

If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can box more than two horses. However, the cost of your wager goes up substantially with each horse you add to the box. See Boxes to learn how to place an Exacta Box.

Formula: (number of horses in box) x (number of horses in box minus 1) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples:Box two horses: (2 x 1 x $2) = $4.00
Box four horses: (4 x 3 x $2) = $24.00

If you've decided which horse will win the race but aren't sure about the second place finisher (or vice versa), you may want to place an Exacta Wheel where you key one horse with several others. For example, if you wheel the #2 horse with the #4, #5 and #7 horses (2 / 4, 5, 7), you'll win if the first two finishers are 2-4, 2-5 or 2-7.

The cost of your wager goes up with each horse you add to the wheel. See Wheels to learn how to place an Exacta Wheel.

Formula: 1 x (number of horses in wheel) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples: Wheel one horse with two others: (1 x 2 x $2) = $4.00
Wheel one horse with six others: (1 x 6 x $2) = $12.00

A Trifecta Box is like an Exacta Box except that you're picking the horses that will finish first, second and third, in any order. For example, if you box the #3, #4 and #5 horses, you'll win if the first three finishers are 3-4-5, 3-5-4, 4-3-5, 4-5-3, 5-3-4 or 5-4-3.

The more horses you put in your box, the better chance you have of winning (and, like an Exacta Box, the higher the cost). See Boxes to learn how to place a Trifecta Box.

Formula: (number of horses in box) x (number of horses in box minus 1) x (number of horses in box minus 2) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples: Box three horses: (3 x 2 x 1 x $2) = $12.00
Box five horses: (5 x 4 x 3 x $2) = $120.00

A Trifecta Wheel is similar to an Exacta Wheel in that you are most commonly combining one horse with several others. For example, if you think that the #9 horse will win the race and that the #3 and #5 horses are equally likely to finish second and third, you could construct your Trifecta Wheel in this fashion: 9 / 3,5 / 3,5. You'll win if the first three finishers are 9-3-5 or 9-5-3. The formula for calculating the cost of this type of Trifecta Wheel is given below.

You can also construct a Trifecta Wheel with more then one horse in each spot (e.g., 3,5 / 3,5 / 1,2,4,6,7). See Wheels to learn how to place a Trifecta Wheel.

Formula: 1 x (number of horses in wheel) x (number of horses in wheel minus 1) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet**

Examples: Wheel one horse in one position and two horses in the other two positions: (1 x 2 x 1 x $2) = $4.00
Wheel one horse in one position and six horses in the other two positions: (1 x 6 x 5 x $2) = $60.00

Where a Superfecta requires you to pick the first four finishers in a race in exact order, a Superfecta Box requires that your selections finish in the top four positions in any order. For example, if you box the #2, #3, #4 and #5 horses, you'll have 24 different combinations that could win.

Like Exacta and Trifecta Boxes, the more horses you put in your box, the better chance you have of winning. See Boxes to learn how to place a Superfecta Box.

Formula: (number of horses in box) x (number of horses in box minus 1) x (number of horses in box minus 2) x (number of horses in box minus 3) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples: Box four horses: (4 x 3 x 2 x 1 x $2) = $48.00
Box six horses: (6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x $2) = $720.00

Like a Trifecta Wheel, with a Superfecta Wheel you are most commonly combining one horse with several others. For example, you might want to construct your Superfecta Wheel keying the #2 horse to win with the #3, #5 and #6 horses to finish second, third and fourth (in any order). You'll win if the first four finishers are 2-3-5-6, 2-3-6-5, 2-5-3-6, 2-5-6-3, 2-6-3-5 or 2-6-5-3. The formula for calculating the cost of this type of Superfecta Wheel is given below.

You can also construct a Superfecta Wheel with more then one horse in each spot (e.g., 3,5 / 3,5 / 1,2,4,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7). See Wheels to learn how to place a Superfecta Wheel.

Formula: 1 x (number of horses in wheel) x (number of horses in wheel minus 1) x (number of horses in wheel minus 2) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet**

Examples: Wheel one horse in one position and three horses in the other three positions: (1 x 3 x 2 x 1 x $2) = $12.00
Wheel one horse in one position and five horses in the other three positions: (1 x 5 x 4 x 3 x $2) = $120.00

If you've decided which horse will win one of the two races in a Daily Double wager but aren't sure about the outcome of the other race, you may want to place a Daily Double Wheel. For example, if you think that the #9 horse will win the first race and that the #3 and #5 horses are equally likely to win the second race, you could construct your Daily Double Wheel in this fashion: 9 / 3, 5. You'll win if the results are 9-3 or 9-5.

The cost of your wager goes up with each horse you add to the wheel. See Wheels to learn how to place a Daily Double Wheel.

Formula: (number of horses selected in first race) x (number of horses selected in second race) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples: Wheel one horse in one race with three horses in the other race: (1 x 3 x $2) = $6.00
Wheel two horses in one race with three horses in the other race: (2 x 3 x $2) = $12.00

To increase your chances of winning a Pick 3 wager you may want to select more than one horse in one or more of the three designated races. For example, if you think the #3 horse will win the first race, the #1 or #7 horse will win the second race and the #2 or #5 horse will win the third race, you could construct your Pick 3 Wheel in this fashion: 3 / 1, 7 / 2, 5. You'll win if the results are 3-1-2, 3-1-5, 3-7-2 or 3-7-5.

The cost of your wager goes up with each horse you add to the wheel. See Wheels to learn how to place a Pick 3 Wheel.

Formula: (number of horses selected in first race) x (number of horses selected in second race) x (number of horses selected in third race) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples: Wheel one horse in the first race with two horses in each of the other two races: (1 x 2 x 2 x $2) = $8.00
Wheel one horse in the first race with two horses in the second and three horses in the third: (1 x 2 x 3 x $2) = $12.00

A Pick 4 Wheel is exactly like a Pick 3 Wheel, except that you increase your chances of winning by selecting more than one horse in one or more of the four designated races.

The cost of your wager goes up with each horse you add to the wheel. See Wheels to learn how to place a Pick 4 Wheel.

Formula: (number of horses selected in first race) x (number of horses selected in second race) x (number of horses selected in third race) x (number of horses selected in fourth race) x (dollar amount of bet) = total cost of bet

Examples: Wheel one horse in the first race with two horses in each of the other three races: (1 x 2 x 2 x 2 x $2) = $16.00
Wheel one horse in the first race with one horse in the second, three horses in the third and one horse in the fourth:
(1 x 1 x 3 x 1 x $2) = $6.00