John Ford | February 12, 2019 | Updated on: April 4th, 2023
Horse racing betting is one of the earliest forms of gambling outside of casino games. It has a rich history, rewarding bettors with adrenaline-pumping action while they make money out of it. The beauty of horse race betting is that the payout pool prize is generated from the number of bettors that place wagers. This means that prize money can reach millions of dollars per race! Betting on horse races leaves little room for the betting establishment to fix results. As one of the safest gambling activities, the transition to the online platform was bound to happen. Find out all about horse racing betting in our guide as well as the best online gambling sites that we’ve thoroughly vetted.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites
What You’ll Find In Our Horse Racing Guide
- Types of Horse Racing
- How to Bet on Horse Races in 2023
- Horse Betting Strategy | Tips & Tricks on Horse Racing Bets
- Betting Odds on Horse Racing
- Horse Race Betting Online Review
Types of Horse Racing
Before you can place a bet, sports bettors need to understand the types of race tracks and competitions that are involved in racing. Each racetrack, mileage and competitions have different odds, which can increase or decrease your chances of winning.
- Flat Horse Race – Arguably, the most popular form of horse racing, flat racing takes place on a level turf without hurdles.
- Jump Horse Racing – This relates to all the horse racing competitions that take place on an obstacle course. The race is defined by the horses skipping over hurdles and running through ditches to win.
- Endurance Horse Racing – As the name suggests, this horse racing challenge tests the stamina of the thoroughbred to run a specific number of lapses.
- Quarter Mile Horse Racing – One of the short races that you will find, it places emphasis on the speed of the horse to run a short distance.
- Graded Stakes Horse Racing – Grades stakes horse racing events specify the requirements that horses have to meet to qualify for the race. In the most lucrative of races, the requirements related to the length of the sticks used, the horse’s age, racetrack etc.
How to Bet on Horse Races in 2023
Having established the different horse racing competitions that bettors can wager on in North America, here are steps on how to bet on horses and win online. These easy to follow steps on betting on horse races will increase the sports betting novice’s odds of winning.
Step 1 – US bettors should look for legit online sports betting sites that offer the horse racing events that they are familiar with.
2 – Go through the most recent horse racing results and performances of the thoroughbred and jockeys.
3 – Once you have a handle on which horse race and jockey have the best chance of winning, look for the best betting odds. Use a horse racing betting calculator available online to understand what each bet is worth.
4 – Deposit funds into your sports book online and place a bet. Bettors will have to choose between single-race or multi-race bets which attach different odds to the race.
5 – Bettors can follow live horse races and receive their jackpot prize when their pick crosses the finish line.
Horse Betting Strategy | Tips & Tricks on Horse Racing Bets
Over the years, the are a number of strategies that have been helpful for punters when betting on horses. We’ve collected a couple of tricks and tips on horse betting that will surely give you an edge over uninformed bettors.
- Do not choose an outright bet on the favorite horse and jockey. While it may seem counterintuitive, they hardly payout big.
- Rather, choose a handicap horse racing bet, which increases the potential payout considerably.
- Research the thoroughbred’s last couple of performances. The analysis should look at the racetrack, weather conditions, miles and competition the horse performed in and how it fared.
- The position the horse starts the race is very important. Bettors should assess the location of the horse they peg to win the race.
Check Out Our Other Horse Racing Guides
Betting Odds on Horse Racing
The betting odds on horse races change all the time. This is because the bookies base their odds on the number of bets that bettors place on a specific race. The wagers can be set for a single horse bet or multiple horses. Here are some of the most popular horse racing bets that influence the payout:
- Outright winner – placing a bet on the horse to come in first place.
- Position – this bet reflects the prediction of the horses to come in first or second place.
- Show – the wager on the horse coming in first, second or third position in the race.
- Across the Board – this bet combines the outright winner, the position and the show bets.
- Combination/Dual Bets – these bets involve mixing a combination of bets in order to increase the potential payout. For instance, you will choose the outright winner as well as the place that they will come out in.
- The more sophisticated bets involve betting on multiple horses. These take the form of Exacta, Quinella, Trifecta and Superfecta bets and have a considerably higher payout jackpot prize.
Horse Race Betting Online Review
Our gambling experts have figured out how to bet on horses successfully and stand by the aforementioned tips and tricks. While we do not guarantee that every wager will result in a win, following these horse betting tips will increase your chances of winning. They’ve been drafted from recounts of winners that have been betting on horses for years. Bettors can find the smartest bet in horse racing in our guide to help them with their predictions. While the horse racing stakes will change, there’s plenty of annual competitions to help bettors horn their skill and improve their chances of winning. Head over to our recommended sports betting website in the US and place your bet using our horse racing tips.