Bet Horse Racing Online
Betting Horses online is similar to sports betting in that both are gambling and that most online sportsbooks also offer a racebook. Beyond that, there is a good reason why they are separated at sites, which means that there is an area for sports betting, and an almost entirely different site set up for betting the ponies.
On this page, we’ll give you some basic information that will make you more comfortable when visiting your favorite sportsbooks online racebook.
How to Bet Horses
The first thing you need to understand is the type of wagers available on a Horse Race. These are as follows:
Traditional Horse Bets
WIN – This is a straight bet on whether or not your horse finishes first.
PLACE – This is a bet on whether or not your horse finishes first or second.
SHOW – This is a bet on whether or not your horse finishes first or second or third.
ACROSS THE BOARD – Your betting all three options above, win, place and show. The higher your horse finishes (first, second or third) the higher your return will be.
WIN-PLACE – This is a bet on both win and place. The higher your horse finishes (first or second) the higher your return.
Exotic Horse Bets
Standard Horse Racing wagering is boring to many who come to tracks wanting a chance at big payouts for little risk. This is the reason exotic wagering was invented, here are some examples:
EXACTA – This is a bet where you pick two horses to finish in an exact position. For example, if you choose Horse #1 to finish 1st and Horse #2 to finish second to win they must win in this exact order; their finish positions cannot be reversed. To Box this wager, meaning if their finish positions are reversed, it will cost you two times the stake.
QUINELLA – This is a bet that two horses will finish in first or second. Either combination gets you the win.
TRIFECTA – You choose the horses that will finish in first, second, and third and must match the exact order. A popular betting option with players is to box this bet so that if their horses finish in the top 3 any order they’ll be paid. This is the same as purchasing 6 different trifecta tickets to cover each options.
SUPERFECTA – This is the same as a trifecta but adding a fourth horse to finish in 4th place. To box this wager it will cost $24 for $1 superfectas, as 4 horses finishing in any position has 24 different options.
Where to Bet Horses Online
Now that we’ve covered the options on how to Bet Horses Online. the next logical question is where to bet them. Our advice is to stick to highly rated Sportsbooks that also offer a rebate program. Two sportsbooks that come to mind are Bodog and Diamond Sportsbook.
Bodog Racebook offers players 3% cashback, 3% on straight wagers, 5% on exotic wagers which is paid every Tuesday at 3PM ET.
Diamond Sportsbook has a progressive (volume based) rebate program that makes it possible to earn 8% weekly rebates. If you’re betting under $2,000 per week in Horse Wagers, stick to Boog otherwise we suggest Diamond.
Best Books on Horse Racing
Believe it or not our favorite book on Horse Racing wagering is “Horse Racing for Dummies” This book is available for $13.59 at Amazon.com.