In the USA, state legal guidelines separate sportsbooks and the perfect horse racing betting websites. Though you can’t guess on horse racing on sports activities betting apps, there are numerous racebook apps with promos presently obtainable. On this web page, we’ll provide an introduction to horse racing betting, together with the perfect apps for on-line horse betting, like TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, and 1/ST BET.
Finest horse racing betting apps
Evaluating the perfect horse racing betting websites and promos
Three of the main horse racing betting websites are FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET. Every one presents promos and bonus presents for each new and current customers.
Utilizing a number of racing books can assist you to reap the benefits of every guide’s presents and promos to attempt to maximize your returns.
| FanDuel Racing | No Sweat First Guess as much as $500 | No code required |
| TwinSpires | As much as $400 in Bonus Funds ($100 per $400 wagered) | CBSSPORTS |
| 1/ST BET | As much as $500 Signal-Up Bonus ($20 per each $100 wagered) | 500BET |
FanDuel Racing promo: No Sweat First Guess as much as $500
FanDuel Racing is presently providing a No Sweat First Guess. In case your first win guess loses, get racing credit as much as $500. Simply click on the hyperlink within the desk above if excited about claiming now. No particular FanDuel Racing promo code is required.
For many who might guess on sports activities with FanDuel, FanDuel Racing is a separate entity that requires making a separate account.
TwinSpires promo: As much as $400 Signal-Up Bonus
TwinSpires is providing as much as $400 in bonus credit for brand spanking new customers. Get a $100 bonus credit score for each $400 wagered, with a most of $400 in bonus credit obtainable for this welcome provide. No TwinSpires promo code is required. These can click on the hyperlink within the desk above.
After $400 in wagers settle (after races end and outcomes are official), TwinSpires will add a $100 bonus credit score to your account steadiness. When you wager $800, one other $100 might be added for a complete of $200 in bonus credit. Bonus credit pay out the identical as money wagers on profitable bets.
1/ST BET promo: As much as $500 in wagering credit
New customers can stand up to $500 in bonus bets with 1/ST BET by utilizing the promo code “500BET” when signing up. New customers will obtain a $20 wagering credit score for every $100 wagered on the app of their first 60 days. The utmost in wagering credit that may be accrued is $500, which might require wagering $2,500.
guess on horse racing: Hottest kinds of wagers
There are a selection of various wagering choices obtainable on every race, and right here we’ll undergo the three conventional bets – Win, Place and Present – in addition to the mixtures of every.
Every horse could have completely different odds for every guess kind. These odds let you recognize what the anticipated return on that horse might be. It is essential to notice that the percentages on every horse fluctuate all through the day and payouts are calculated based mostly on the ultimate odds, not the precise odds from the time you place your guess. That’s as a result of racebooks use parimutuel wagering.
Variations in horse racing odds vs. sportsbook odds
Horse racing odds depend on parimutuel wagering, which is a system that swimming pools collectively all the cash guess on every market up till the race begins. The monitor and the books take a sure proportion or rake for his or her operations (the Takeout), and the rest of the pool is then divided among the many profitable ticket holders. The takeout is split between the home (monitor) and horsemen, together with race purses.
What is especially distinctive about this technique for many who are accustomed to betting on sports activities is that your odds can shift after you place the guess till they lock when the race begins. In sports activities betting, should you guess one thing at 10-1 and it later strikes to 8-1, you continue to obtain the 10-1 payout. In horse racing, your payout will change based mostly on the way in which the market strikes to create the ultimate odds. The ultimate odds you will be paid out at are decided by how a lot is guess on every horse and the Takeout.
The usual horse racing unit for win, place, or present bets is $2.
Win
The win guess is solely betting on which horse will are available first place within the race. Utilizing the 2026 Herbie Dyke Stakes for instance, the winner was Legarto and completed with 12-5 odds. A $2 Win guess paid $6.80, a product of the usual $4.80 for a 12-5 payout on a $2 guess, plus your authentic $2 wager quantity again.
Place
The Place guess permits you to wager on whether or not a horse will end first or second in a race, which means two Place bets can pay out on every race. This provides you a larger likelihood of profitable, however lowers your odds on the horse in the event that they place.
Utilizing the 2025 Kentucky Derby as the instance once more, a $2 Place guess on the No. 18 horse solely returned $7.50 in comparison with the $17.96 for a Win guess. But additionally, a $2 Place guess on the No. 8 horse (Journalism), who was the favourite however got here in second, paid $4.94 whereas the Win guess misplaced.
Present
The Present guess is an much more conservative betting possibility, as you might be wagering on whether or not that horse will end within the prime three positions. Which means three Present bets can pay out every race. For instance, a $2 Present guess on a 10-1 winner returned $4. As you’ll be able to see, present guess odds are far decrease than win guess odds.
Win/Place
You may as well mix these bets on every horse once you’re inserting your wagers. Which means if you wish to guess on a horse to win and place, you are able to do that. A $2 Win/Place guess actually means you are betting $4 – a $2 Win guess and a $2 Place guess. If the horse you guess on wins, you’ll win each bets. If the horse finishes second, you’d solely win the Place guess.
Place/Present
The identical is accessible for a Place/Present guess, the place a $2 Place/Present guess could be $4 wagered on a $2 Place guess and a $2 Present guess. In case your horse finishes first or second, you’d win each, but when it finishes thir,d you’d solely win the Present guess.
Win/Place/Present (Throughout The Board)
Lastly, you’ll be able to guess on all three choices in what’s sometimes called an Throughout The Board guess. A $2 Throughout The Board guess would actually be $6 wagered – $2 on Win, $2 on Place, and $2 on Present. When you make an Throughout The Board guess and your horse wins, you pay out on all three wagers.
It is essential to notice that betting on Win/Place/Present mixtures might not end in a web return even when one of many bets pays. For instance, on the 2024 Kentucky Derby, an Throughout The Board guess on the 11 horse would’ve returned simply $5.58 on $6 wagered.
guess on horse racing: Exotics wagering
Many horse racing bettors will place unique bets the place they attempt to predict the place a number of horses will end in a race. These mixture wagers provide the prospect for larger payouts, however include a decrease chance of profitable (identical to similar sport parlays in sports activities betting).
It is very important notice that, not like sports activities betting, there isn’t a commonplace odds calculation to make use of for figuring out unique payouts. Due to Parimutuel wagering, odds can fluctuate till the race begins, relying on which horses different bettors are backing.
Exactas
An exacta guess is selecting the 2 horses that end first and second within the precise order. As soon as once more utilizing the 2025 Kentucky Derby for instance, a $2 exacta on the No. 18 and No. 8 horses (who closed with ultimate odds of 7-1 and nearly 3-1) paid $48.32.
Exotics winnings will differ based mostly on the variety of horses within the race, the percentages of the top-finishing horses, and the dimensions of the pool. For instance, the sector for the 2024 Kentucky Derby noticed an extended shot horse win, so the exacta pool paid $258.56 — considerably greater than the 2025 Derby.
Trifectas
This horse racing wager is inserting a guess on the precise order of the top-three finishers in a race. A straight trifecta can pay handsomely, however is extraordinarily tough to hit. Trifecta payouts are sometimes proven for $0.50 bets, however some will present for $1 bets as effectively. The payout display screen will let you know which, however that is essential to notice so that you’re conscious of how a lot you might be getting again.
The 2025 Kentucky Derby Trifecta paid $231.12 on a $1 Trifecta guess.
Superfectas
Superfecta bets attempt to predict the precise order of the top-four finishers in a horse race. The superfecta payout is often proven for a $1 guess. For the 2025 Kentucky Derby, a $1 superfecta that added the fourth-place No. 3 horse to the trifecta paid $1,682.27.
Tremendous Excessive 5
Some books will even assist you to guess on the top-five finishers of their precise order in what is named a Tremendous Excessive 5 guess. These payouts will once more be proven for a $1 wager. The chances of hitting a Tremendous Excessive 5, particularly in a big subject race, are exceptionally low.
The 2025 Kentucky Derby’s $1 Tremendous Excessive 5 paid $38,405.96.
Field
A field guess permits you to have each potential mixture for exotics. When you assume you recognize which two horses will hit the exacta however are usually not positive in what order, you’ll be able to field it. The identical goes for trifectas and superfectas. The extra horses you field collectively, the decrease your complete income on the payout might be.
For instance, a three-horse exacta field guess prices $12 to guess, as you might be betting $2 on all six potential mixtures between these three horses:
- $2 on No. 1 in first, No. 2 in second
- $2 on No. 2 in first and No. 3 second
- $2 on No. 3 in first and No. 1 in second
- $2 on No. 3 in first and No. 2 in second
- $2 on No. 2 in first and No. 1 in second
- $2 on No. 1 in first and No. 3 in second
You are able to do the identical for Trifectas and Superfectas, however at exponentially escalating prices. A $1 Trifecta Field with three horses is six mixtures, so $6 wagered:
- $1 on No. 1 in first, No. 2 in second, No. 3 in third
- $1 on No. 1 in first, No. 3 in second, No. 2 in first
- $1 on No. 2 in first, No. 1 in second, No. 3 in third
- $1 on No. 2 in first, No. 3 in first, No. 1 in second
- $1 on No. 3 in first, No. 1 in second, No. 2 in third
- $1 on No. 3 in first, No. 2 in second, No. 1 in first
From there, 4 horses in a $1 trifecta field is 24 mixtures for $24 wagered. 5 horses is 60 potential mixtures for $60.
A $1 Superfecta field of 4 horses is $24 wagered, 5 horses is $120 wagered and 6 horses is $360 wagered.
guess on horse racing: Multi-race wagers
Whereas these exotics provide quite a lot of choices for betting on particular person races, you may as well guess on a number of races on the similar monitor in numerous methods. These mixture wagers can pay out based mostly on the betting pool, however they assist you to put collectively a handful of horses you are assured in all through the day to extend your potential payout.
Day by day Double
The Day by day Double is what it seems like: Betting on back-to-back race winners from that day. The chances for Day by day Doubles differ based mostly on the percentages for the person horses you guess and the Day by day Double betting pool. For instance, the $2 Day by day Double at Horseshoe Indianapolis on April 15, 2025 from the primary two races with the 7 horse within the first race (went off at 1-1 odds) and the 4 horse within the second race (went off at 3-5 odds) paid $8.
As soon as the primary race ends, the payouts for every potential Day by day Double might be proven below a “Will Pays” tab on the following race’s betting display screen.
Decide-3, Decide-4, Decide-5 and Decide-6
Together with the Day by day Double, there are extra choices for betting the winner of a number of races in a row on the similar monitor. The Decide-3 is selecting the winner in three consecutive races, the Decide-4 in 4 consecutive races, and so forth for the Decide-5 and Decide-6.
Like exotics, the pool quantity and the percentages for every horse wagered on decide the payouts for these multi-race wagers. The default unit for these bets varies from guide to guide, with FanDuel exhibiting $0.50 payouts and TwinSpires exhibiting $1 payouts within the Will Pays part.
The extra races you set collectively on a ticket, the extra you’ll be able to win. However as with all multi-race wager, the extra legs you add, the tougher it’s to win.
For a number of the greatest races, the Decide-6 will function a set assured prize pool for the winner(s) it doesn’t matter what the precise wagered quantity is. The 2024 Kentucky Derby featured a $1 million assured pool on TwinSpires for Decide-6s on races 6 via 11 at Churchill Downs.
Understanding horse racing payouts
After the race, the profitable payouts might be displayed for every guess kind at a delegated quantity. The usual unit for win/place/present and exactas is a $2 guess. Trifectas, superfectas and tremendous excessive 5s are sometimes proven as $1 or $0.50, however will say explicitly which on the payout board.
The payouts for every horse within the prime three for the 2025 Kentucky Derby regarded as follows:
Sovereignty (No. 18) | $17.96 | $7.50 | $5.58 |
Journalism (No. 8) | $4.94 | $3.70 | |
Baeza (No. 21) | $8.38 |
When you guess extra (or much less) than the usual $2 unit, you multiply the payout by how a lot you guess and divide by the usual unit. For instance, a $10 Win guess on Sovereignty returned $89.80, whereas a $25 Present guess on Journalism would’ve returned $46.25.
For the single-race exotics on the 2025 Kentucky Derby, the payouts had been as follows:
$2 Exacta (18-8) | $48.32 |
$1 Trifecta (18-8-21) | $231.12 |
$1 Superfecta (18-8-21-3) | $1,682.27 |
$1 Tremendous Excessive 5 (18-8-21-3-20) | $38,405.96 |
Kentucky Derby betting and the Street to the Kentucky Derby
Probably the most well-known race in horse racing is the Kentucky Derby. guess on the Kentucky Derby is identical as every other horse race, with one twist that makes it extra unpredictable.
Sometimes, there are a most of 20 horses that can run within the Kentucky Derby. Horses should be nominated and likewise acquire sufficient factors via numerous qualifying sequence to get a beginning gate. The most important of these is the Street to the Kentucky Derby qualifying sequence that begins the 12 months prior and contains occasions nationwide.
There are 36 races within the major Street to the Kentucky Derby sequence in 2026, with two separate prep-race sequence for worldwide horses main as much as Derby 152. The races scheduled closest to the Derby are a part of Championship Season, the place horses can earn essentially the most factors in direction of qualification for the coveted Kentucky Derby subject.
The Championship Season is headlined by main Grade-1 Stakes races just like the Louisiana Derby, Arkansas Derby, Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes.
There are additionally alternatives for horses abroad to qualify via the Euro/Mideast Street to the Kentucky Derby and the Japan Street to the Kentucky Derby, with the winners from every sequence getting a Derby put up place.
Kentucky Derby Future Wagers Swimming pools
Within the months main as much as the Kentucky Derby every year, horse racing betting websites and apps provide entry to futures swimming pools for the Kentucky Derby. Not like in race day wagers, although, if the horse you guess on doesn’t run, your guess just isn’t refunded. In trade for this danger, gamers who pinpoint Kentucky Derby starters usually get much better odds than on race day.
Right here is the schedule of Kentucky Derby future wager swimming pools for the 2026 Derby:
- Pool 1: October 29-31, 2025 CLOSED
- Pool 2: November 27-30, 2025 CLOSED
- Pool 3: January 16-18, 2026 CLOSED
- Pool 4: February 13-15, 2026 CLOSED
- Pool 5: March 13-15, 2026 (further Kentucky Oaks future wager pool obtainable)
- Pool 6: April 2-4, 2026
Every pool closes at 6 p.m. ET on the ultimate day of wagering.
Largest horse races past Kentucky Derby betting
The horse racing calendar operates year-round, however there are six occasions on the schedule that function the largest and have the biggest purses, thus attracting the perfect fields. The three Triple Crown occasions headline for most people, however the Breeders’ Cup, Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup all provide large purses and entice a number of the finest horses and fields in all of racing.
- January 24, 2026: Pegasus World Cup
- March 28, 2026: Dubai World Cup
- October 30-31, 2026: Breeders’ Cup
Triple Crown of horse racing
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes make up horse racing’s Triple Crown. There are 13 horses which have accomplished the Triple Crown, profitable all three occasions, and simply two – American Pharoah (2015) and Justified (2018) – have completed that feat within the twenty first century.
Not each horse competes in all three Triple Crown occasions, as every race operates at completely different lengths and the turnaround time might be too fast for trainers to be comfy operating their horse once more on the subsequent race. Some Derby winners do not run the Preakness and a few have made it two legs earlier than withdrawing from the Belmont.
The Kentucky Derby is a 1 1/4 mile race, the Preakness Stakes is 1 3/16 mile, and the Belmont Stakes is a grueling 1 1/2 mile occasion (though it’s being run presently at 1 1/4 mile at Saratoga Race Course as a result of renovations at Belmont Park).
Ideas and recommendation for betting on horse racing
There are a selection of methods for betting on horse racing, but it surely all begins with understanding the horses and figuring out their strengths, weaknesses and previous performances.
Racing varieties and previous performances
These are race-day publications and applications obtainable at tracks and on-line to preview the day’s races at every monitor, and they’re full of information and data from previous races. The entire finest horse racing betting apps have built-in a lot of this data into its betting screens for every race.
Observe circumstances
Earlier than you even get to the horses, understanding monitor circumstances is significant. Understanding if a monitor is grime or grass, agency and quick or smooth and gradual, is vital data to know so you’ll be able to have a look at which horses in a given race run finest in sure circumstances.
Horse tendencies
From there, you wish to perceive the tendencies of horses within the subject. Some horses get out to quick begins and attempt to push the tempo, whereas others dangle again and attempt to make a late kick. If many of the subject is anticipated to push the tempo and run it quick, then a horse that prefers to remain again could also be better off as a result of an unsustainable early tempo.
The alternative could possibly be true, too; if the tempo goes to be slower early, frontrunners usually tend to maintain their place. A few of this data might be present in PPs or Previous Efficiency information.
Publish place
Publish place may also matter to a horse’s success. Some favor to run the rail (on the within of the monitor) whereas others favor being on the surface and having extra space. This data is all price factoring in and evaluating with the opposite horses within the subject to find out who you’ll guess on.
Coach and jockey data
A horse’s coach and jockey may even have tendencies. Some trainers are higher at getting horses prepared for a sure kind of monitor, however possibly do not have an ideal monitor report at others. Some jockeys could also be kind of aggressive on the monitor, which can or might not work effectively with that particular horse’s tendencies, or they might have an extended monitor report with that horse and know how one can get essentially the most out of them.
Exercise instances
There’s additionally loads of information obtainable that may make it easier to. Exercise instances, if obtainable, can provide you an thought of how a horse has been operating in coaching earlier than a giant race.
Pace figures
Pace figures are like superior stats of the horse racing world, providing a metric to indicate how effectively a horse has been operating in its current races that components in issues like subject energy and monitor high quality.
Taking all of that information into consideration is essential to betting on horse racing, and for newbies it is best to ease in and do as a lot observing as you do betting. You will begin to discover sure traits for horses, jockeys, trainers and tracks that may make it easier to discover edges on the percentages board going ahead.
Handle your horse racing betting bankroll
Managing your bankroll with what proportion of cash you have got put aside for horse racing betting is significant to rising your probabilities of scoring massive in some unspecified time in the future. Similar to in sports activities betting, the place most bankroll administration specialists advise not more than 2% of your bankroll must be guess on any given sport, the identical precept might be utilized to any given horse race.
Guidelines and accountable gaming
Accountable playing is taken very critically throughout all racebooks. All present the mandatory sources and speak to data should you or somebody you recognize might have a playing downside. The minimal age is eighteen for horse racing betting in most states, however it’s 21 in some states.
Accountable playing sources embrace the Nationwide Council for Downside Playing (NCPG) and Gamblers Nameless. Be sensible. Guess sensible. Wager responsibly. These in want of assist may also name or textual content 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Assist is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days every week.
