Belmont Stakes - Horse Racing Betting

How To Bet on Preakness Stakes

Straight or Basic

There are a many different wagers you can choose when wagering at the track. All of these bets are based on one premise: Bettors receive payouts based on Win, Place and Show. In other words, the first, second and third place finishers.

Across The Board

This means you are wagering on a horse to Win, Place and Show. You get one ticket that has all three wagers. If the horse you picked wins, you receive Win, Place and Show payouts. If the horse you picked finishes second, you receive Place and Show payouts. If the horse you picked comes in third, you receive the Show payout. You are actually placing three wagers, therefore the minimum wager is $6.

Daily Double

To win this bet you must select the col2s of two consecutive races.

Exacta

You pick the first two finishers, in exact order.

Approximate Payoff for a $2 Win Bet

  • Odds Pays Odds Pays  
  • 1-9 $2.20 2-1 $6.00  
  • 1-5 $2.40 5-2 $7.00  
  • 2-5 $2.80 3-1 $8.00  
  • 1-2 $3.00 7-2 $9.00  
  • 3-5 $3.20 4-1 $10.00  
  • 4-5 $3.60 9-2 $11.00  
  • 1-1 $4.00 5-1 $12.00  
  • 6-5 $4.40 6-1 $14.00  
  • 1-1 $4.00 5-1 $12.00  
  • 6-5 $4.40 6-1 $14.00  
  • 7-5 $4.80 7-1 $16.00  
  • 3-2 $5.00 8-1 $18.00  
  • 8-5 $5.20 9-1 $20.00  
  • 9-5 $5.60 10-1 $22.00  

Here are some strategies that will be helpful to the newcomer when wagering on the races odds:

  • Put your money on the favorite. The favorite is the horse with the best odds. It is the horse on which the most money has been wagered. Favorites win about 33% of the col5
  • Check the local newspapers. Look for the Daily Racing Form and the handicapper's selections. The newcomer can benefit a great deal from the observations and advice of a recognized expert. This is a popular learning tool for developing handicapping skills, and a great shortcut for the newcomer.
  • Buy a tip sheet. These are created by professional handicappers and will help provide useful wagering selections.
  • Check the program for a list of col4 and col3 standings that include the number of wins to date. The highest ranked riders generally ride the best horses, and the best col4s usually have a high win percentage.
  • Watch the horses.

Glossary of Racing Terms

Entry - A horse entered in a race. Once in a while, two or more horses are said to be "coupled" and run as an "entry," and are therefore a single wagering unit. If you wager on one horse of an entry you are wagering on both.

Furlong - 220 yards. One-eighth of a mile. furlongs are used to measure horse races.

Morning Line - This is a prediction of how the morning linemaker thinks wagering will occur in any particular race. These odds are printed in the program and posted on the Infield Odds Board before wagering actually starts.

Post position - The horse's position in the starting gate. The gate is numbered from the inner rail outward.

Purse - The amount of prize money won by the owners of the first five or six finishers in a race.