What Is a Trifecta in Horse Racing

What is a trifecta in horse racing? This is a question that gets asked a lot by new and unseasoned bettors, so we thought it would be a good idea to create a guide that contains the answers.

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With tons of different horse racing bets on offer these days, it can often be difficult to know which markets to target. Lucky for you, we have compiled a list of tips for winning trifecta bets.

What Is a Trifecta Bet?

So, what is a trifecta? Put simply, a trifecta is a parimutuel wager that gives bettors the opportunity to predict which horses will finish first, second and third in a race.

The horses must finish in the exact predicted order for the bet to land. If you pick the correct three horses but they don’t finish in the correct order, you will lose the bet.

Here is an example of a trifecta bet in horse racing:

Let’s say there are 10 horses in a race. You back Horse 3 to win, Horse 5 to finish second and Horse 8 to finish third. The horses finish in that order, meaning you win the bet.

In the next race you back Horse 1 to win, Horse 4 to finish second and Horse 7 to finish third. Horse 1 wins the race, Horse 7 finishes second and Horse 4 finishes third. As a result, you lose the bet.

Trifecta bets typically present high odds because predicting the correct order of three horses is much more difficult than simply picking the winner. What is a trifecta? It’s a bet with juicy odds.

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Tips for Winning Trifecta Bets in Horse Racing

Now that you’re familiar with the fundamentals of what is a trifecta, it’s time for us to share our top tip for winning trifecta bets in horse racing. Saddle up and get ready for some expert tips.

Pay Attention to Form

There is no hiding the fact that form is key in horse racing. Both horses and jockeys go through periods of good and bad form, so it’s vital that you study the form guide before placing your bets.

Naturally, you want to pick the most in-form horses for your trifecta bets. By checking the results of recent races, you can separate the wheat from the chaff and find your three selections.

Assess the Entire Field

Trifecta bets are different to regular horse racing bets. While most horse racing wagers require you to select only one horse, trifecta bets need three horses in the correct finishing order.

With that in mind, we recommend evaluating the entire field in each race. First, eliminate the obvious slow runners. You can then narrow down your search for the three best horses.

How to Read a Horse Racing Form

Search for Value in the Odds

Although picking the top three favorites in every race may seem like a good strategy, it won’t get you very far. In fact, the bookies’ favorite only wins in around a third of horse races.

For that reason, you need to explore the odds and track down the best value. Of course, there is nothing wrong with picking the favorite, but the other two horses could be further down the odds list. Now that you can answer what is a trifecta, it’s time to find an online racebook and start placing bets.