Horse Racing Betting Terminology Explained

Horse Racing is a popular sporting event held throughout the world that originated from ancient times. A sport with a simple premise – the first horse to reach the finish line over a distance wins the race. It is the source of enjoyment for millions. As fun as it is, if you are new to this sport, you may find yourself confused and disoriented from the words used for betting. Listed below are some of the basics in horse racing betting terminology. A furlong is an old unit of length used in horse racing, primarily in the UK. It is equal to 1/8 of a mile or about 200 meters. Most thoroughbred races are measured in furlongs, especially in Britain and other regions that use metric measurements. “Across the board” –a horse racing betting terminology pertaining to a person’s bet on all three ways: win, place, and show. If the horse wins, the person collects all three, if second, only the two (place and show), if third, only one (show). “Daily double” -a term used in horse racing and dog racing. A person will bet on the winners of the two races for a specific race day. “Boxed bet” – a type of bet that allows a person to place on all possible combinations in a multi-horse wager. “Win bet” -a bet on the horse that finished first in the race. “Place bet” -a bet on the horse that finished either first or second in the race. “Pick three” -a horse racing betting terminology pertaining to a wager in which all the winners of the included race are selected. “Parlay” -a term that pertains to the using of one bet’s winnings to place another one on the next bet. “On the nose” -a type of bet placed on a horse only for the win. Early speed refers to a horse’s capacity to sprint quickly from the start. Horses with strong early speed often set the pace of the race. This can influence their finishing position and affect the race outcome. “Straight” -a type of bet to win only. “Exotic bets” – Exotic wagers allow a person to place his bet on multiple horses to increase the chances of potential collection. Such bets however, are harder to win, are quite expensive the longer the time run, and alas, have more potential losses if one is careless. “Exacta or Perfecta” –a horse racing betting terminology pertaining to a wager on the first two finishers of the race in exact order but separate betting interests. An Exacta Box bet allows a punter to wager on two horses finishing in the first two positions in any order. This bet involves paying for multiple combinations. It increases winning chances at a higher cost than a straight Exacta. “Trifecta or Triple” –a horse racing betting terminology pertaining to a wager on the first three finishers of the race in exact order but separate betting interests. “Superfecta” –a horse racing betting terminology pertaining to a wager on the first four finishers of the race in exact order but separate betting interests. “Quinella” –a horse racing betting terminology pertaining to a wager on the first two finishers of the race in any order. “Trifecta key” -a type of bet placed on three horses but choosing one as the key horse. The key horse must come in first while the other two can come second in any order for collection. “Superfecta key” -a type of bet placed on four horses but choosing one as the key horse. The same mechanics as the trifecta key apply here. A dead heat occurs when two or more horses finish a race at exactly the same time. In these cases, winnings are divided among the bettors on the tied horses. It is an unusual scenario in race betting. “Jolly” -it refers to the favorite horse of a particular race. “Treble” -This bet is composed of three selections. All of the selections must win their respective races for the wager to collect the winnings. So there you have a simple but broad selection of horse racing betting terminology explained. I hope you now feel somewhat enlightened and less confused when you come across horse racing jargon again.

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