New to Betting A beginners’ guide to betting on horse racing. Betting 101Exotic BetsBoxed Exotic BetsTips to RememberBetting OptionsBetting 101Step 1: Decide How Much to BetThe minimum “basic” bet is $2. You can bet more if you want. It’s always up to you. Step 2: Pick Your HorseYou can pick a horse because you like its name, number or colour. That’s the fun way. Another way is to pick a horse because of a jockey’s or driver’s record, or the horse’s past performance. A race program, available for a small fee, will give you this information for every horse and for every race being held. You don’t need a race program to pick a horse, but it does help! Step 3: Pick Your Basic Bet WIN: Your horse must finish first. PLACE: Your horse must finish first or second. SHOW: Your horse must finish first, second or third. Once you’ve mastered the basic bets, you’re ready to try other types of bets like the Daily Double, Exactor, Triactor, Superfecta, Pick 3, Pick 4 or Pick 6. They’re similar to making a basic bet, and a whole lot more fun. Because when you win a bet like these, you can win more money! To help make these bets, we have included some examples below. Step 4: Placing your BetChoose a Betting Window to Place Your Bet Once you’ve decided on the dollar amount, horse and bet type, you’re ready to place your bet. When you get to the betting window here’s all that you have to say when you get there: RACETRACK NAME: Woodbine RACE NUMBER: Race #1 BET AMOUNT: $2 HORSE NUMBER: #7 BET TYPE: Win Put it all together and say: “Woodbine, race 1, two dollars on number 7 to win.” Your teller will collect your money and print out your ticket. Be sure to check your ticket to confirm it’s the bet you want. OR Choose a Self-Serve Terminal to Place Your Bet When you get to a Self-Serve Terminal here’s all you have to do when you get there: Deposit money via dollar bills, voucher or Cash Card. Press/Tap the track you would like to bet: Woodbine Press/Tap the Race Number: Race #1 Press/Tap the Bet Amount: $2 Tap the Horse Number: #7 Press/Tap the Bet Type: Win Press/Tap the “Finish With Receipt” button. Be sure to check your ticket to confirm it’s the bet you want. After the Race When the race is “official” take your ticket and check it against the official results to see if your ticket is a winner. Download Instruction Sheet Know the Lingo View Glossary How to Play the Odds Here are some examples of how a $2 bet pays out at various odds. ODDS: 1/2 8/5 2/1 7/2 5/1 10/1 PAYS: $3 $5.20 $6 $9 $12 $22 Here is how a 10/1 pays $22: $2 bet x 10 is $20, plus you get your original $2 bet back, giving you $22. Odds are the numbers appearing beside the horse’s number and they’re displayed on the TV monitors around the track, on the in-field board, or within the racing browser on the website. Generally speaking, the more favoured a horse is by bettors, the lower the odds and the lower the pay-out. Less popular horses have higher odds and a higher pay-out. Exotic Bets These exotic bets are similar to making a basic bet, but a whole lot more fun. Why? Because when you win a bet like these, you can win more money! Bigger Payouts for Exotics Payouts are determined by how much money is bet into each of the pools, so watch for payouts of these exciting bets on the TV screens as soon as the races are declared official. Exacta Pick the top 2 finishers in a race in the exact finish order. $2 Exacta – horse numbers 1,2 = Cost $2 Trifecta Pick the top 3 finishers in a race in the exact finish order. $2 Trifecta – horse numbers 1, 2, 3 = Cost $2 Superfecta Pick the top 4 finishers in a race in the exact finish order. $1 Superfecta – horse numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 = Cost $1 Daily Double Pick the winners of 2 consecutive races. $2 Daily Double – horse numbers 1,1 = Cost $2 Pick 3 Pick the winners of 3 consecutive races. $1 Pick 3 – horse numbers 1, 1, 1 = Cost $1 Pick 4 Pick the winners of 4 consecutive races. $1 Pick 4 – horse numbers 1, 1, 1, 1 = Cost $1 Boxed Exotic Bets When you “box” an exotic bet your selected finishers can finish in any order. With a typical exotic bet you must identify the exact order the runners will finish in order to win. Exacta Box Pick the top 2 finishers in a race. They can finish in any order within the top two positions. $1 Exacta Box – horse numbers 1, 2 = Cost $2 Trifecta Box Pick the top 3 finishers in a race. They can finish in any order within the top three positions. $1 Trifecta Box – horse numbers 1, 2, 3 = Cost $6 Superfecta Box Pick the top 4 finishers in a race. They can finish in any order within the top four positions. $1 Superfecta Box – horse numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 = Cost $24 Tips to Remember A Few Things to Keep in Mind… When you bet on horse racing, you should always keep the following statistics in mind. Favourites “WIN” only 32% of the time. Favourites “PLACE” (come in first or second) only 53% of the time. Favourites “SHOW” (come in first, second, or third) only 67% of the time. Smart bettors, beginners and experts alike, always read the fine print. Our lawyers wanted us to remind you that these tips are intended as a guide only. These tips are based on historical results and do not represent actual or implied future performance. Plus, you must be at least 18-years-of-age to bet. Betting Options Wagering on horse racing is easy, convenient and fun! You can bet On-site with the help of Betting Tellers: Our expert tellers will assist you in making your bets with cash. And, Self-Serve Terminals: DIY betting with money or a betting card. You can also bet Digitally using HPIbet (For serious Horse racing Fans) and bet365 (For Sports Bettors). View Detailed Betting Options Difference between Thoroughbred and Standardbred Horses Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses are two different breeds of horses that are commonly used for racing. Here are some of the key differences between the two breeds: Breeding: Thoroughbred horses are bred for speed and agility in flat racing, while Standardbred horses are bred for their ability to trot or pace in harness racing. Body type: Thoroughbreds are typically taller and leaner with longer legs than Standardbreds. Standardbreds have a more muscular build with a lower center of gravity, which allows them to trot or pace at high speeds while pulling a sulky. Racing style: Thoroughbred horses run in a gallop or running gait, while Standardbred horses trot or pace while pulling a sulky. This means that Standardbred races are typically slower but more tactical, as the driver must strategically pace the horse to maintain speed and conserve energy. Racing distances: Thoroughbred races are usually run at distances between 5 and 12 furlongs (about 1 to 2.4 kilometers), while Standardbred races are typically run at distances between 1 and 2 miles (about 1.6 to 3.2 kilometers). Racing tracks: Thoroughbred races are run on turf or dirt tracks, while Standardbred races are run on special tracks with a sandy surface to accommodate the sulky. What’s the difference between a pace and trotter race for harness racing? In harness racing, there are two main types of races: pace races and trotter races. Here are the key differences between the two: Gait: The main difference between pace and trotter races is the gait that the horses use. In a pace race, the horses move their legs in unison on each side of their body, while in a trotter race, the horses move their legs diagonally. Speed: Pace races tend to be faster than trotter races because horses can reach higher speeds when they are pacing. Equipment: Horses in pace races are usually fitted with hobbles, which are straps that connect the front legs and the back legs on each side of the body. This helps the horses maintain their pacing gait. Horses in trotter races do not use hobbles. Strategy: Because pace races are typically faster, the strategy in these races is often to get out to the front of the pack early and maintain a fast pace. In trotter races, the strategy is often to conserve energy early on and make a move in the later stages of the race. Tracks: Pace races are usually run on tracks with a harder surface, such as asphalt or clay, while trotter races are usually run on tracks with a more forgiving surface, such as limestone. Overall, while both pace and trotter races are types of harness racing, they have different gait, speed, equipment, strategy, and track requirements. Harness racing fans often prefer one type of race over the other, but both offer exciting and competitive action on the track.
