Exactas Offer Better Value When Placing A Horse Bet
Richard Bleuze
Before I begin this article, you should know the following fact when I handicap a horse race. I do not place a bet on favorites when the odds drop below 3-1.
I realized that if you want to gain more lucrative rewards, going the exotic wagering route is a must tactic rather than placing a "win" bet or "place" bet.
The main reason tha texacta wagering pools offer more value than straight betting pools is that there are lots of cash going into quite a few races that are "win" or "place" bets only.
I see no harm including favorites in exactas, trifectas and Pick 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, etc. But I always embrace at least one longshot in exactas and trifectas.
My favorite wager is the exacta -- a combination bet requiring horses to finish one-two. I usually follow several rules:
Seldom play favorites below 2-1 on top. If you do, throw out the second betting choice because both hardly ever run one-two. After years of reseach, I have found that is especially true for 2 year olds!
At some tracks that run quite a few races for juveniles, I found one of the top two choices wins more than their share.
If you box a pair at 2-1 and 3-1 in an eight-horse field, the $2 exacta payoff with the lower odds on top would be about $26 and only $7 higher if reversed.
Sometimes you can include overbet favorites 2-1 or below on the bottom while putting any overlays or longshots on top. The payoffs can be generous.
Rarely combine pairs of longshots 10-1 and up, but you can box two horses from 3-1 to 8-1 if at least one is an overlay. Two longshots at higher odds infrequently finish one-two. The rate of return is a losing proposition in the long run.
Never box four or more horses no matter the odds. It is usually smarter to use those four horses in a Pick 3 or 4 to give you a better chance to cash in.
There are as many exacta-wagering strategies as there are horse handicappers. Many handicappers, including myself, look for a favorite and put two horses on top. When I follow that strategy, I make sure one is a price horse.
Another strategy is to pick two races a day at your favorite tracks and look for contests with a minimum of eight horses while 10 the ideal field has 10 runners.
Do not play the race if the favorite is bet down to 8-5 or less.
Find races that lack a heavy favorite because they produce generous rewards.
If you have handicapped the race, take notes and do not wait to the last minute to place your bets.
You should already have determined which horses will be in the money!
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