What Is A Show Bet In Horse Racing?

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

What Is A Show Bet?

In horse racing, a show bet is a wager on a horse to finish first, second, or third in a race. It's a popular bet among fans, especially for favorites or horses with a high chance of finishing in the top three. There is also value to be found for roughies who sneak into the top three. 

How Does A Show Bet Work?

To place a show bet, select the horse you think will finish in the top three and mark the “show” box on your betting slip. Show bets offer a lower-risk option with a higher payout than place bets, making them an attractive choice for horse racing enthusiasts.

How Much Does A Show Bet Payout?

A show bet payout in horse racing varies depending on the odds and the amount wagered. Typically, a show bet pays out the least of the three bet types (win, place, show). 

The payout is usually a fraction of the win bet payout, around 1/5 to 1/4 of the win bet odds. For example, if the win bet pays $10, the show bet might pay around $2 to $2.50.

Essential Quality with Luis Saez up wins the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes as Hot Rod Charlie with Flavien Prat up finishes second at Belmont Park. Photo by Getty Images.

What Is A Win Place Show Bet?

In horse racing, “Win, Place, Show” refers to the top three finishing positions. A “Win” bet is on a horse to finish first, “Place” is on a horse to finish first or second, and “Show” is on a horse to finish first, second, or third. These bets offer varying levels of risk and reward.

How Does A Win Place Show Bet Work?

The horse may also be wagered “across the board,” which is a $6 bet on a $2 base bet, meaning you bet $2 on the horse to win, $2 on the horse to place, and $2 for the horse to show, which means you'll get paid if your horse places third or higher.

How Much Does A Win Place Show Bet Payout?

A Show bet payout varies depending on the horse's odds, the track's payout structure, and is determined after the horses jump out of the gates. 

Typically, a Show bet pays around 10-20% of the win odds but can range from 5-30%. For example, if a horse has 5-1 win odds, the Show payout might be $3-$5 for a $2 bet. 

The exact payout is determined by the track's rules and the horse's performance, making each Show bet payout unique.

Joel Rosario riding Covfefe (R) crosses the finish line to win as Flavien Prat riding Bellafina lags behind during the Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita Park. Photo by Getty Images.

How Much Is A $2 Win Place Show Bet?

A $2 Win Place Show (WPS) bet is a total wager of $6, as it covers three separate bets: $2 to win, $2 to place, and $2 to show. This bet allows you to potentially collect a payout for a win, second-place, or third-place finish, with the amount won varying depending on the odds.

What Is The Difference Between Place vs Show In Horse Racing?

In horse racing, “Place” and “Show” bets differ in their finishing requirements. A “Place” bet requires a horse to finish first or second, while a “Show” bet requires a horse to finish first, second, or third. Place bets offer higher payouts than Show bets, but also carry higher risk.

What Happens If You Bet A Horse To Place And It Wins?

If you bet on a horse to place and it wins, you still win your bet. A “place” bet means the horse must finish first or second. Since winning covers both first and second positions, your payout will be based on the “place” odds, not the higher “win” odds.

Horses head to the finish line during the second race of the day before the running of the 2021 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Photo by Getty Images.

What Happens If You Bet A Horse To Show And It Wins?

If you bet on a horse to show and it wins, you receive a payout as if the horse placed in the top three. This means you still win, but the payout is typically less than betting on the horse to win outright. Betting to show covers more outcomes.

What Bet Type Is Picking A Horse To Win Or Place But Not Show?

In the USA, the bet type where you pick a horse to either win or place, but not show, is known as a “Win-Place” bet. This wager combines both win and place bets, requiring the horse to finish first or second for a payout.

What Does Betting ‘Across The Board' Mean In Horse Racing?

Betting across the board in horse racing means placing three separate bets on a single horse to win, place, and show. If the horse wins, the punter collects on all three bets. If it places second, they win the place and show bets; third place wins only the show bet.

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.