Saturday, May 3, 2025
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Win-Place-Show: Which will you wager on?
Betting on the races at the Virginia & International Gold Cups is fun and easy. A few different types of wagers are offered each race.
Below are the three most basic options:
* The Win Wager: Betting on a horse to win the race. It's quick, easy and fun. The horse you choose must win the race for you to win the wager.
* The Place Wager: The bet is on a horse to place either 1st or 2nd. The horse you choose must either place 1st or 2nd for you to win the wager.
* The Show Wager: You are choosing a horse to show in the top 3. The horse you choose must finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd for you to win the wager.
Due to the difficulty of the win wager, it will have the highest payoff of these three wagers. The show wager offers you the greatest chance of winning but does have the lowest payoff.
The minimum bet is $2.
EXACTA:
Once you have mastered the Win-Place-Show wagering try an Exacta. You bet an Exacta by selecting a minimum of two horses to finish 1st and 2nd. The horses you choose must finish 1st and 2nd, in the order that you listed them, for you to win the wager. The Exacta is a bit more difficult than the win, place or show wagers but has a higher payout.
Choosing two horses in order sound too difficult? You can "box" your wager. A boxed wager will win if your two horses finish either 1st or 2nd, in any order, thus making it more likely you will win.
The minimum bet for an Exacta or Exacta box wager is $2.
TRIFECTA:
The Trifecta wager is more difficult than the other wagering options available but has a higher payout than other wagers.
To bet a Trifecta you select a minimum of three horses to finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, in that exact order.
You can also place a Trifecta Box wager. A boxed Trifecta wager will win if the horses you choose finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd, in any order. This makes the wager more likely to win.
Ready to place your wager?
Grab a program, scope out your horses then head to one of our betting stations placed around the grounds and see a mutuel teller for assistance. Here's what you should do when you get to the teller:
1. Have your money in hand, so your ready to make your bet.
2. State the race number you are betting on.
3. State the amount of money you wish to wager.
4. Say the type of bet you are placing.
5. Finally, state the horses's number and name.
It should be given to the teller in something sounding like this. " Race 3, $2 to win on the #4 horse, Summer Rain." After you have placed your wager, hand the teller your money and take your betting ticket. If you horse wins you will need the ticket to return to the teller to claim your winnings.
Keep in mind that you can place your wagers for all of the races listed in the program at one time if you would like.
