What Is A Box Bet In Horse Racing?

Marcus Bazzano
By Marcus Bazzano
What Is A Box Bet In Horse Racing?

What Is A Box Bet?

A box bet is a type of wager that covers all possible combinations of a group of horses, ensuring a win if any of your selected horses finish first, second, or third, but at a higher cost due to the increased number of bets.

What Is A Key Box Bet In Horse Racing?

A Key Box Bet in horse racing is a type of wager that allows a bettor to select a key horse to finish in a specific position, while also boxing other horses in the remaining positions. 

For example, a $1 key box bet on horse 1 to win, with horses 2 and 3 boxed to place and show, would cost $4 and cover the following combinations: 1-2, 1-3, 1-2-3. This bet increases the chances of winning while reducing the cost of a traditional box bet.

What Is An Exacta Box In Horse Racing?

An exacta box in horse racing is a type of bet that allows you to select multiple horses to finish first and second in any order, increasing your chances of winning, with the number of combinations determining the total cost of the bet.

What Is A 3 Horse Exacta Box In Horse Racing?

A three-horse exacta box in horse racing is a type of bet that covers all possible combinations of three horses finishing first and second, requiring six bets (3 x 2 = 6), increasing your chances of winning and the cost.

What Is An Exacta Box Payout?

An exacta box payout in horse racing is the return on investment (ROI) for a winning exacta box bet, calculated by multiplying the wager amount by the odds of each horse selected and then dividing by the total number of combinations.

Horses race to the finishing post in the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Photo by Getty Images.

What Is An Exacta Key Box In Horse Racing?

An exacta key box in horse racing is a type of bet that allows you to select one “key” horse to finish first or second, combined with multiple other horses to finish in the remaining position.

What Is A Box Trifecta In Horse Racing?

A box trifecta in horse racing is a type of bet that covers all possible combinations of three horses finishing first, second, and third in any order, requiring a total of six bets (3 x 2 x 1 = 6), increasing your chances of winning but also increasing the cost, with a higher payout for correctly predicting the top three finishers.

How Much Is A Trifecta Box?

The cost of a trifecta box cost depends on the number of horses you're betting on. The costs can be seen below:

  • 3 Horse Box: $6
  • 4 Horse Box: $24
  • 5 Horse Box: $60
  • 6 Horse Box: $120
  • 7 Horse Box: $210
  • 8 Horse Box: $336
  • 9 Horse Box: $504
  • 10 Horse Box: $720

What Is The $3 Trifecta Box Cost?

The $3 trifecta box cost is dependent on the number of horses you choose to be included in the bet. The costs be seen below:

  • 3 Horse Box: $12
  • 4 Horse Box: $72
  • 5 Horse Box: $180
  • 6 Horse Box: $360
  • 7 Horse Box: $630
  • 8 Horse Box: $1008
  • 9 Horse Box: $1512
  • 10 Horse Box: $2160
Justify, ridden by jockey Mike Smith crosses the finish line to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Photo by Getty Images.

How Much Is A 3 Horse Trifecta Box?

A 3-horse Trifecta box costs $6 for a $1 base wager, covering all possible combinations of the three horses to finish first, second, and third in any order.

How Much Is A 4 Horse Trifecta Box?

A 4-horse Trifecta box costs $12 for a $1 base wager, covering all combinations of the four horses to finish first, second, and third in any order. 

How Much Is A 5 Horse Trifecta Box?

A 5-horse Trifecta box costs $30 for a $1 base wager, covering all possible combinations of the five horses to finish first, second, and third in any order.

How Much Is A 6 Horse Trifecta Box?

A 6-horse Trifecta box costs $60 for a $1 base wager, covering every combination of the six horses to finish first, second, and third in any order. 

How Much Is A 7 Horse Trifecta Box?

A 7-horse Trifecta box costs $126 for a $1 base wager, covering all of the possible combinations of the seven horses to finish first, second, and third in any order. 

How Much Is An 8 Horse Trifecta Box?

An 8-horse Trifecta box costs $252 for a $1 base wager, covering all eligible combinations of the eight horses to finish first, second, and third in any order.

Mystik Dan, ridden by jockey Brian J. Hernandez Jr. crosses the finish line to win the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Photo by Getty Images.

What Is A Trifecta Box With A Key?

A trifecta box with a key is a bet where you select one horse as the “key” to finish first, second, or third, and combine it with multiple other horses to cover all possible trifecta combinations.

How Much Is A Trifecta Box Payout?

The payout for a trifecta box bet is dependent on several factors, including the odds of the winning horses, the amount bet on the trifecta pool, and the number of winning tickets. 

The total trifecta pool is the sum of all money bet on the trifecta for a particular race, from which the racetrack deducts a takeout rate (usually between 15% and 25%). The remaining amount is divided equally among all winning tickets. 

The payout for each winning ticket is calculated by dividing the remaining pool by the number of winning tickets. The less likely the winning combination, the higher the payout tends to be. 

A boxed trifecta can pay out several hundred dollars or more if successful, with more exotic combinations paying thousands or tens of thousands.

How To Bet A Trifecta Box

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to bet a trifecta box:

  1. Open the App
  2. Select the Race
  3. Tap on Trifecta in the bet type menu
  4. Choose Your Horses
  5. Enter Your Stake
  6. Confirm Your Bet

What Is A Superfecta Box Bet In Horse Racing?

A superfecta box bet in horse racing is a bet that covers all possible combinations of four horses to finish first, second, third, and fourth in any order.

Tarnawa, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, crosses the finish line to win the Breeders Cup Turf at Keenland. Photo by Getty Images.

What Is The $1 Superfecta Box Cost?

The $1 superfecta box cost depends on the number of horses you have placed in the bet. The difference in the costs be seen down below:

  • Four horses: $24
  • Five horses: $120
  • Six horses: $460
  • Seven horses: $840

How Much Is A 4 Horse Superfecta Box?

A 4-horse Superfecta box costs $24 for a $1 base wager and covers all combinations of the four horses to finish first, second, third, and fourth in any order.

How Much Is A 5 Horse Superfecta Box?

A 5-horse Superfecta box costs $120 for a $1 base wager, covering all possible combinations of the five horses to finish first, second, third, and fourth in any order.

How Much Is A 6 Horse Superfecta Box?

A 6-horse Superfecta box costs $360 for a $1 base wager, covering every combination of the six horses to finish first, second, third, and fourth in any order.

What Is A Box Quinella Bet?

A box quinella bet is a type of wager that allows you to pick multiple horses to finish first and second in any order, increasing your chances of winning.

Marcus Bazzano
By Marcus Bazzano

Marcus is a young but experienced sports journalist and content creator, having been in the industry 5+ years. He has written racing specific content for leading racing sites such as RacingBase, Odds and now Fan Odds. Marcus learnt his love for racing from his father, who has owned multiple horses in Marcus' lifetime.