Box A Trifecta Articles | Horse Betting

By: Richard Bleuze

Box A Trifecta

I decided to discuss the trifecta bet today in horse racing since I believe that alot of horse bettors will enter the "Trifecta Challenge" that is being offered by Twin Spires.  For details, CLICK HERE!

First, what is a trifecta bet.  The trifecta requires you to select the first three finishers in order.  This can lead to a big pay-off.

As mentioned, the trifecta requires you to select the first three finishers in order and can lead to big pay-offs.  Thus, boxing lets your selections come in any order and still win.  A wager that is boxed thus covers more combinations.  Boxing numbers in a trifecta bet means that all numbers chosen are put in every possible combination to provide a greater possibility of correctly selecting the first three finishers. If the numbers 1, 2, and 4 are boxed, the combinations of 1-2-4, 1-4-2, 2-1-4, 2-4-1, 4-1-2, and 4-2-1 are covered. As long as the first three finishers involve the numbers 1, 2, and 4, the boxed ticket is a winner. The more numbers used in a box, the greater the number of possibilities covered. However, the more numbers boxed, the greater the cost to cover the wager.

You should select three or four horses that you think have the best chance to finish in the top 3 positions.  I suggest that you add a long shot in the mix for a real big pay-off.

The more horses you put in your box, the better chance you have of cashing a winning ticket, but your ticket will also be more expensive.  A 3 horse trifecta box is $6, a 4 horse trifecta box is $24, a 5 horse trifecta box is $60, and a 6 horse trifecta box is $120.  As a general rule, $1 is the minimum wager on a trifecta box, however, you can wager a larger amount if you like.

The chart below should be helpful for anyone thing of boxing a trifecta bet.

# of choices  # of combinations  $ amount of bet  Cost of bet 
3                     6                                     $1 ($2)          $6 ($12)
4                     24                                   $1 ($2)          $24 ($48)
5                     60                                   $1 ($2)          $60 ($120) 
6                    120                                  $1 ($2)          $120 ($240)
7                    210                                  $1 ($2)          $210 ($420)
8                    336                                  $1 ($2)          $336 ($672) 
9                    504                                  $1 ($2)          $504 ($1008) 
10                 720                                   $1 ($2)          $720 ($1440) 
11                 990                                   $1 ($2)          $990 ($1980) 
12                1320                                  $1 ($2)          $1320 ($2640) 
13                1716                                  $1 ($2)          $1716 ($3432) 
14                2184                                  $1 ($2)          $2184 ($4368) 

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Be the King of the Cup - Breeders' Cup Trifecta Challenge November 5th and 6th, 2010

TwinSpires is offering our Players a chance to Be the King of the Cup and earn an additional $10,000 on Breeders' Cup Weekend. Play the Breeders' Cup Trifecta Challenge, November 5th and 6th and hit as many trifectas as you can for your chance at a $10,000 first place prize on top your trifecta winnings. $15,000 will be awarded in total cash prizes. As an added bonus, 10 pairs of tickets will be given away to the 2011 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs.

Full contest details here.