How To Bet Horse Races In Saratoga

I’ve lived in Saratoga for most of my life. Being a Saratogian, you can’t help but appreciate the excitement the Saratoga Race Track brings to the area each year. Opening day is just over a month away – July 20th. If you’re new to the area or never had time to learn how to bet like a boss, here’s your official guide to placing bets.

Win: The easiest, most common bet. You pick a horse and how much money you want to wager. The more you bet, the higher the payout. If your horse comes in first place, you win!

Place: If the horse you choose comes in first OR second place, you win!

Show: If the horse you choose comes in first, second or third, you win!

Pick 3: A pick 3 requires you to pick the winners of three consecutive races. You’ll only see a payout of the horses you choose win all three consecutive runnings.

Pick 6: Similar to Pick 3 except you’ll have to pick the winners for 6 consecutive races. The payouts for a Pick 6 winner are usually enormous.

Exacta/Exacta Box: You pick the 2 horses that you believe will come in first and second. To bet an exacta means you expect the horses to finish in the order you picked them. If you “box” an exacta bet, you’re doubling your bet for the horses to come in either order.

•  i.e. – I would like a “two dollar 3, 2 exacta”
• If the horses finish 3, 2 you win. If they finish 2, 3 you don’t win.
•  The total cost of this bet is $2
•  i.e. – I would like a “two dollar 3, 2 exacta BOX”
• If the horses finish 3, 2 you win. If they finish 2, 3 you win.
• The total cost of this bet is $4 (because you’re basically paying for both bets – 3, 2 and 2, 3).
• Even though you bet $4, one of the two bets was a loser – you’ll get the same payout as someone who bet a $2 exacta.

Trifecta/Trifecta Box: Same thing as Exacta/Exacta box with the first 3 horses instead of 2.

Superfecta: Same thing as Exacta/Trifecta with the first 4 horses.

Daily Double: You have to place this bet before the first race. In the daily double, you pick the winners for the first and second race.

Parlay: Now we’re getting fancy! This is where you bet on two or more races with the intention of pushing the winnings of your first win to the next. Every race you bet must be a winner to win the Parlay.

If ya don’t know, now ya know! I expect a thank you letter and free lunch if you hit it big because of this article!