Making the most of your day at the races starts by sticking with simple bets.
Going to the track infrequently, usually for entertainment, is completely different from going to the racetrack every day as a function of employment. Whether the track is a place of business or a place for recreation, enhance your opportunity to win by keeping a few thoughts in mind.
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The money horse might not be the people’s choice It is easy to just play along with the flow of the crowd
by watching the tote board and betting the favorite. While you will probably select a few winners this way, more than likely, you will not receive a hefty return. I try to follow a $10 rule: attempting to earn at least $10 for a win payoff on the horse I select. In order to achieve this return, the horse has to be at 4-1 odds or higher. I put myself on this rule many years ago, about the same time that I realized that I could not survive trying to wager on every race if I was at the track every day. Earning at least $10 on a winning ticket turns a $2 play into double-digit success. Check out this Daily Racing Form chart to get an idea of estimated payoffs for different odds.
Winner first, then exotic Probably the main wagering flaw made by fans who do not often attend the races is playing only exotic wagers: exactas, trifectas and superfectas. Friends, family and others have often told me they didn’t have any exactas or other exotic plays hit for them during a race outing—all the while, they usually had a few winning horses in their missed combination plays that would have paid nicely for a simple win bet. This standard is difficult to follow—human nature lets our minds run wild and our money flow when we see exacta and trifecta payoffs into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. But to get an extreme return, you still have to have the winning horse in your exotic bet. You might as well put down a win bet, in addition to your exotic wager of choice. Play the horse you think is going to win first—hope- fully at 4-1 odds or higher—then include that horse in an exacta wheel or box. I like to box a three-horse $1 exacta combination ($6 cost), but I usually don’t play it unless
lthough I spend nearly every day at the track, I still experience the same thrill as first-time attendees.
two horses in the trio are at 4-1 odds or more. If you have the winner, then you still get cash even if you miss the exacta. If you are correct on your straight-win bet and the exacta, the euphoria of victory and cash received will carry you through the next few races and help key a solid racing venture.
Don’t forget the double The original exotic wager is the daily double. The bet challenges fans to correctly select the winner of two races in a row, usually the first two on the race card. Over time, race fans have been so caught up in playing other exotic and multi-race wagers (Pick 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.), that the daily double has been ignored. The simplest of the multi- race wagers can start your race outing with a surplus in funds for a modest play. I like to use two horses in each race of the double, making the total cost $8— much less than I might play by going after other wagers. Make your trip to the races fun and give yourself a pro- gressive opportunity to win bets. Start with straight wagers (win, place, show) then move into the exactas, trifectas or superfectas. A little bit of wagering discipline can be financially beneficial while still enjoying the entertainment that going to the races provides. Many racetracks offer free help for novice race fans at a racing information booth or through a short seminar. These assistants are paid to help educate new racing fans, so utilize them. Another great tool is the interactive online educational forum, Night School . Weekly classes provide an opportunity to read along, follow the expert conversa- tion and ask questions, all in the name of making fans winners.