How To Bet A Trifecta

A trifecta asks you to pick the horses that finish first, second and third. It’s one of the most popular exotic bets at US tracks because a small ticket can pay a large amount. It’s also hard to hit, so it pays to know exactly what each version of the bet costs before you play. In the UK and Ireland the same bet is called a tricast.

What is an example of a trifecta bet?

You bet a $1 trifecta on 4-7-2 in the fifth race. To win, horse number 4 must win, number 7 must finish second and number 2 must finish third. Any other order loses.

That’s a straight trifecta. Because getting the exact order right is so hard, most players use a box or a key to cover more combinations, as explained below.

How much is a $1 trifecta bet?

A straight $1 trifecta (one combination) costs $1. The cost only goes up when your ticket covers more than one combination: the total is the number of combinations times the base amount. Many tracks also offer $0.50 trifectas, so check the minimum on the program or your betting app.

Ticket	Combinations	Cost at $1	Cost at $2
Straight trifecta	1	$1	$2
3-horse box	6	$6	$12
4-horse box	24	$24	$48
5-horse box	60	$60	$120
1 key over 3 others	6	$6	$12
1 key over 4 others	12	$12	$24

How do you bet a box trifecta?

A box covers every order of the horses you choose, so they can finish first, second and third in any order. At the window, say the track, the race, the base amount and “trifecta box” with the program numbers, for example “Race 5, $1 trifecta box, 2, 4 and 7”. On an app, choose Trifecta and then Box.

The number of combinations in a box is n × (n − 1) × (n − 2), where n is the number of horses:

• 3 horses: 3 × 2 × 1 = 6 combinations.
• 4 horses: 4 × 3 × 2 = 24 combinations.
• 5 horses: 5 × 4 × 3 = 60 combinations.

A box is the easiest way to cover several horses, but the cost rises quickly. A $1 box with five horses already costs $60.

How do you key a trifecta?

A key puts one horse in a fixed position and lets others fill the rest. If you’re confident a horse will win, a “key on top” with three others costs 1 × 3 × 2 = 6 combinations, the same as a 3-horse box but covering four horses. You can also build a part-wheel, such as one or two horses on top with a wider group for second and third. The cost is always the number of horses you allow in each position multiplied together, leaving out combinations that repeat a horse.

How do you pick a winning trifecta?

• Start with the likely winner. Most trifectas are built around one or two horses you rate highly. A key on top is cheaper than a big box.
• Read the past performances. Look at recent form, speed figures, class, distance and surface. Our guide to how to handicap horses covers the main factors.
• Think about pace. A race with several front-runners may set up for a closer, and the reverse.
• Use the odds. The tote odds show how the public rates each horse. Our odds converter and odds calculator turn odds into implied chances, which helps you decide where to spend your money.
• Watch the cost. Decide how much you’ll spend on the race first, then build the ticket within it.

What is the most common trifecta?

There isn’t one. Results depend on each race, the field size and the betting. Favorites finish in the top three more often than other horses, so trifectas including the favorite are common, but they also pay less because so many players have them.

Is a trifecta profitable?

Not by itself. US racing is pari-mutuel: the track takes a percentage of each pool (the takeout) and the rest is shared among winning tickets. Takeout is usually higher on exotic bets than on win bets. Over time, you only profit if your tickets are better than the public’s, and covering every combination simply guarantees you pay the takeout. Trifectas are best treated as an occasional bet when you have a strong opinion about a race.

How do trifectas work?

All trifecta tickets go into one pool. After the race, the track deducts the takeout and divides what’s left among the tickets with the right first three, in proportion to the base amount played. If nobody hits, some tracks carry the pool over or pay those with the most correct finishers, depending on the track’s rules.

How much does a $2 trifecta pay?

There’s no fixed answer, because the payout depends on how much is in the pool and how many winning tickets there are. A trifecta with three favorites in the first three might pay a few dollars; one with long shots can pay hundreds or thousands. Payouts are often quoted for a $2 or $1 base, so a $0.50 ticket pays a quarter of the $2 payout.

You can’t work out a trifecta payout by multiplying the three horses’ odds together. That gives a rough sense of how unlikely the result is, but the real payout comes from the pool. The track publishes “will pays” on some bets as results come in.

Does a trifecta have to be in order?

A straight trifecta does: the three horses must finish in the exact order you picked. A box removes the order requirement, at the cost of more combinations.

What is a perfect trifecta?

It’s an informal way of describing a straight trifecta that comes in exactly as picked: first, second and third in the right order on a single combination.

What is a standard trifecta?

Another name for a straight trifecta: one combination in a set order, as opposed to a box or a key.

What is the average trifecta payout?

There’s no meaningful single average. Payouts vary with the size of the field, the odds of the horses that finish in the top three and the size of the pool. Bigger fields and long-priced finishers produce bigger payouts; small fields and favorites produce small ones.

Trifecta, exacta and superfecta compared

• Exacta: the first two in order. Easier to hit, smaller payouts.
• Trifecta: the first three in order.
• Superfecta: the first four in order. Often available for $0.10 at many tracks, with the biggest payouts and the lowest hit rate.

For how these bets fit into a big race day, see our guide to how to bet on the Preakness. If you also bet UK racing, the bet calculator works out fixed-odds returns for every bet type.

Exotic bets have a low hit rate and losing runs can be long. Set your budget before the race, bet only what you can afford to lose and never chase losses. Gambling responsibly.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a $1 trifecta box with 3 horses cost?

$6, because a 3-horse box covers 6 combinations at $1 each.

How much does a 4-horse trifecta box cost?

$24 at a $1 base, or $12 at a $0.50 base, because 4 horses give 24 combinations.

Can you bet a trifecta in the UK?

Yes. The UK equivalent is the tricast, offered by bookmakers on races with enough runners, and the Tote runs a trifecta pool on UK racing.