What is the best bet in horse racing?

There is no single best bet in horse racing.

A better way to look at is that it’s a matter of finding the wager that best fits the race you are playing.

For example, in a wide-open race you might want to spread to include as many horses as you can afford in a trifecta. But if your pace analysis indicates that one of those runners is likely to get an easy lead – one of the most win-predictive scenarios in racing, you might decide to key that horse on top in exactas instead.

A couple pieces of advice, though, as you search for your perfect bet strategies:

Don’t forget about win betting. Many players get so caught up in chasing a big payday that they fail to collect when a horse they like wins because the other horses in their “exotic” wagers don’t run up to expectations. Betting a substantial portion of your bankroll for the race to win will prevent you from tearing your hair out in such situations.

Keep records of your betting and see what types of bets are providing you with your best return on investment (ROI). This will give you a good idea of where you should concentrate your wagering firepower.

Know the takeout – the amount that the track withholds from the total amount wagered to pay its overhead—on whatever wagers you’re contemplating. Betting to win, place or show generally are advantageous in this regard, as the takeout generally ranges from 15-20 percent whereas multiple-leg and vertical wagers can have takeouts of 25 percent or higher.

You can wager on horse races online in these U.S. states to test your strategy: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

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