Why Go to a Horse Race?
Before we delve into the art of betting, you might ask yourself why you would want to visit a racetrack. Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s somewhat my grandpa liked to do, it’s too old school I’m not interested.”
Watching live horse racing at the higher levels of the sport is a delightful experience. Horse racing feels like it’s an entertainment, an experience, and an excursion in one. There’s a lot of history and tradition behind it. All in all, whether you win or lose money, you’ll still have a good time.
These days if you want to take the family to a basketball game, the tickets and food can easily cost you around P 5,000.00. Admission to a racetrack is often free, the minimum bet on each horse race is P 5.00., and you can sometimes bring your own food and drinks. You get to spend all afternoon and evening outside, watching beautiful animals complete at their peak ability.
Types of Horse Racing Bets
Much like betting on other sports, you can place straight bets or exotic bets. Each type of bets have several choices and some can be losing propositions even if you win.
For a beginner, it’s highly recommended that you stick with straight wagers. They’re simple and cheap. You simply pick one horse to come in first, second, or third. The minimum bet at most tracks for a straight wager is just P 5.00.
Exotic wagers allow you to make multiple bets on multiple horses in a single wager. Exotic wagers are generally much tougher to win than straight wagers, and require an advanced degree of skill and knowledge in horse picking. However, the payoffs on exotic wagers are much greater than straight ones.
Example of Betting Types
| Bet Type | Code | Minimum Bet | Winning Horse / Combination |
| Win | WIN | P 5.00 | First place winner only in a designated race. |
| Place | PLC | P 5.00 | First or second or third place finisher in a designated race. |
| Forecast | FC | P 5.00 | First and second place finishers in the exact/correct order of arrival in a designated race. |
| Daily Double | DD | P 5.00 | First place winner only on two designated consecutive races. |
| Daily Quinella | DQ | P 2.00 | First and second place winner only in any order for both races. |
| Extra Double | XD | P 5.00 | First place winner only on designated non-consecutive races. |
| Daily Double +1 | DD+1 | P 2.00 | First place winner only on three designated consecutive races. |
| Trifecta | TRI | P 2.00 | First, second and third place finishers in exact/correct order of arrival in a designated race. |
| Quartet | QRT | P 2.00 | First, second, third and fourth place finishers in exact/correct order of arrival in a designated race. |
| Pentafecta | PENTA | P 2.00 | First, second, third, fourth and fifth place finishers in exact/correct order of arrival in a designated race. |
| Super Six | SIX | P 2.00 | First, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth place finishers in exact/correct order of arrival in a designated race. |
| Pick Four | PK 4 | P 2.00 | First place winner only on four designated consecutive races. |
| Pick Five | PK 5 | P 2.00 | First place winner only on five designated consecutive races. |
| Pick Six | PK 6 | P 2.00 | First place winner only on six designated consecutive races. |
| Winner Take All | WTA | P 2.00 | First place winner only on seven designated consecutive races. |
What to Say to the Teller When You Place Your Bet
Now that you know what kind of bet you’re going to make, it’s time to place your bets. Once you get up to the counter, tell the teller the following in this order:
1. race number
2. type of bet you’re placing
3. amount of your bet
4. horse’s number
For example:
– “Race no, 3, Win, P 10.00 horse number 5″ (This means you’re going to bet P 10.00 on horse number 5 to win first place in race no. 3)
– “Race no. 1, WTA, P 10.00, horse numbers 5,6,2,2,6,4,1,1” (This means you’re going to bet P 10.00 on horse numbers 5 (for race 1), 6 (for race 2), 2(for race 3), 2(for race 4), 6 (for race 5), 4 (for race 6), 1 (for race 7)
-“Race no. 5, FC, P 10.00, horse number 12 and 7” (This means you’re going to be P 10.00 on horse number 12 to win first place and horse number 7 to win second place)
Now hand the teller your cash and take your ticket. Keep it in a safe place. You’ll need it to claim your money if you win.