2022 Belmont Stakes Betting 101: How to Bet on Horse Racing & Terms to Know

2022 Belmont Stakes Betting 101: How to Bet on Horse Racing & Terms to Know article feature image
Credit:

Rob Carr/Getty Images. Pictured: Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality.

If you are new to horse racing or just need a refresher on how things work with the ponies, no worries.

We have a basic glossary of terms below to help you bet the ponies as we get ready for the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.


Continue to follow The Action Network for complete, in-depth coverage and picks on this year's Belmont Stakes from handicappers Jeremy Pond, Sean Zerillo, Andie Biancone, Mike Conti and Monique Vág, who will provide their detailed thoughts and best bets.



Where to Bet on Horse Racing

Some state racing associations, NYRA for example, offer an app for users to place bets. There are OTBs (Off-Track Betting shops) around the states.

You could also go to any race track and bet on the Derby prep races — or any race around the country for that matter. And in some states, there are select bars with betting kiosks. My favorite spot to bet horses is Churchill's in Rockville Centre, a beautiful village on Long Island.

You're welcome to stop by any time.

Types of Bets: Exacta, Trifecta & More

There are plenty of ways to bet on horse racing, and while they are pretty simple once you get the hang of it, you may hear some weird track-slang thrown around. Here's a quick rundown of the basics:

To Win: A bet on a particular horse to win. Easy enough, right?

To Place: A bet on a particular horse to finish second.

To Show: A wager on a particular horse to finish third.

Win, Place, Show: A bet on a particular horse to win, place (finish second) or show (finish third). In other words, if the horse you bet on finishes first, second or third you win.



Exacta: A bet on two horses to finish first and second, in order. In other words, if you bet an exacta with the No. 12 horse and No. 20 horse and punch in a 12/20 exacta, the No. 12 horse needs to finish first and the No. 20 horse needs to finish second. This is different from an exacta box (defined below). You can bet exactas with more than two horses.

Exacta Box: An exacta wager, but it doesn't matter which horse finishes first and which finishes second. Example: If you play an exacta box with the No. 12, No. 20 and No. 7 horse and the No. 7 horse finishes first and the No. 20 horse finishes second, you're a winner. There's no limit to the number of horses you can place in an exacta box.

Trifecta: A wager picking the first three finishers in exact order. Basically, an exacta with three horses instead of two.

Trifecta Box: Same concept as the exacta box, except with the first three finishers: A trifecta wager where you don't need your horses to finish in exact order to win. There's no limit to the number of horses you can place in a trifecta box.

Superfecta: A bet in which you pick four horses to finish first, second, third and fourth in exact order.

The must-have app for bettors

The best betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets
About the Author
Michael is an editor and writer for The Action Network, covering the NHL, MLB, soccer and more. He grew up at Nassau Coliseum, where he repeatedly had his heart broken by the New York Islanders.

Follow Michael J. Leboff @TheBigLeebowski on Twitter/X.

How would you rate this article?

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.