So you want to bet on the 2019 Kentucky Derby, but you’ve seen all these words like “exacta” and “trifecta” and you have no clue what those two terms mean.
It’s okay. You’ve come to the right place. We’re here to help. This is the guide to the casual bettor who wants some skin in the game but who doesn’t know a thing about the types of bets you can make on the “fastest two minutes in sports.”
With some of these, it’s as easy as picking one horse to win it all, but there are a bunch of other options. Here they are:
Win
This is the simplest of them all. You pick one horse, and if it wins, you get paid money against its odds.
Place
You’re betting on a horse to win or finish in second place. But it means the money you’d win will be lessened because you have more of a chance to win.
Show
A bet that one horse will finish in the top three, and like “place” above, your payout is even lower because you have a trio of chances to win.
Exacta
You have to pick two horses to finish first and second in the exact order. Hence the term “exacta.”
Quinella
This bet also requires you to pick two horses to finish 1-2, but you don’t need them to finish in that exact order.
Trifecta
Just like an Exacta, but with three horses in the exact order of finish.
Superfecta
This is picking FOUR horses in the exact order of finish. If it sounds impossible, it is, partially because of the money you can win if you’re right:
“Box” bets
You can ask for your exacta, trifecta or superfecta bets to be “boxed” — that means if the two, three or horses you picked finish in the top-2, -3 or -4 in any order, you win. You just have to pay more up front because you have a better chance to win.
Good luck!
