Breeders’ Cup betting guide for 2024

Having discussed the types of Breeders’ Cup horse racing odds that exist, now we move on to betting markets. Here are some of the most popular wagered on:

• 

  To win

  A straightforward bet is on outright victory in one of the many Breeders’ Cup races.

  Eg:

  Enable

  3.25

  
• 

  To place

  You can also bet on a horse to finish first or second in its Breeders’ Cup race. The odds will be shorter than an outright win.

  Eg:

  Magician

  2.88

  
• 

  To show

  Another possible wager is backing a horse to finish first, second or third at the Breeders’ Cup. Again, the price will be smaller than just a plain win.

  Eg:

  St Nicholas Abbey

  4.00

  
• 

  Exacta

  You can also pick two horses in the same race and put them together in one bet, specifying a winner and the other to come second. This is called an exacta and can be reversed if you don’t want to bet on a specific order.
  
  Reverse exactas, also called a quinella, are two bets to cover both possible outcomes. One will certainly lose, but the other may not.

  Eg:

  Conduit

  

  First

  Found

  

  Second
• 

  Triactor or Trifecta

  Known in Canada as a triactor, but called a trifecta throughout North America and beyond, you can also back three horses in the same race. These are to finish first, second and third respectively.
  
  Like exactas, the option of not specifying the order is also there but you are then placing six bets in one. There’s an obvious degree of difficulty in getting a winning triactor or trifecta.

  Eg:

  

  Conduit First

  

  Enable Second

  

  Found Third
• 

  Superfecta

  It even goes a level beyond triactors and trifectas with multiple selections in the same race. You can nominate four horses in one event to finish first, second, third and fourth in a given order.
  
  These are even more difficult to predict. If you do, then the returns are massive. Extra selections and thus more permutations can be added to the bet and these are called box superfectas.

  Eg:

  

  Conduit First

  

  Enable Second

  

  Found Third

  

  High Chaparral Fourth
• 

  Daily Double

  If you can pick the winners of consecutive races which are designated by the betting site you bet on, then you can win bigger. The daily double is often put forward on the most competitive races at events like the Breeders’ Cup or Kentucky Derby.
  
  Odds are multiplied from one leg of the bet to the next, so your return is much higher than if backing them individually to win.

  Eg:

  Conduit

  

  9.00

  Accelerate

  
• 

  Futures Betting

  There’s no need to wait until the Breeders’ Cup event starts for you to bet on it. Odds will often be available weeks and in some cases months in advance.
  
  Futures betting comes with pros and cons. One advantage is you are likely to get a bigger price on your fancy, but the downside is if it doesn’t turn up and run then you lose. Money back guarantees aren’t usually in effect until nearer the time.
  
  You as a bettor have to decide whether taking a long-term wager and a bigger price is worth running the risks attached.

  Eg:

  Accelerate

  7.50