Horse racing’s Triple Crown series is officially completed — and a determined filly took down the boys in the Preakness Stakes. 4 Swiss Skydiver, the only female in the 11-horse field, captured the 145th running of one of the sport’s three marquee races for 3-year-olds.Swiss Skydiver, trained by Kenny McPeek, made history in the triumph, becoming just the sixth filly to win the 1 3. Superfecta bets, like all other horse racing bets, are governed by a system known as pari-mutuel wagering. In pari-mutuel wagering, payoffs are awarded based on how much resides in different pools of wagered money. These pools are divided by type of bet then by the specific bets available in each type.

A superfecta is the same as an exacta or trifecta except that it requires the bettor to correctly predict the first four finishers in order in a given race. Given the abundance of possible combinations, many tracks offer a base wager of just 10 cents for the superfecta. Superfectas are exotic bets that originated in pari-mutuel betting pools like the Tote, where you have to find the first four horses in a race in the right order all in one wager. Similar in concept to, but more challenging than exactas and trifectas to pull off, you are betting on.

Superfecta is largely considered the most lucrative of all horse racing betting opportunities, and at the same time, the hardest wager to collect on. You’ll have to correctly predict the first four horses to finish the race, in exact order, to release this massive purse. It is generally the type of wager only veteran handicappers place with any degree of confidence, but if you are looking for a very large payout and are feeling lucky why not give it a try at an online betting site such as Bovada.lv.

In some countries, the name Superfecta refers to a wager on more than four horses, as high as five or six. Since the name doesn’t exactly relate to a number, as in the case of a “Trifecta” (first 3 horses), some horse racing tracks have begun using terms like “First Four” or “Quartet” in place of, or in combination with, Superfecta.

What is Superfecta Horse Racing Betting?

A Superfecta is a complex horse racing bet where the bettor is required to pick not just the win, Place and Show horses, but the fourth place finisher as well. Picking the first four animals to finish a horse race, in exact order, is no easy task.

Above is an example of the “superfecta” menu at Bovada.lv where you can bet on any horse to either win, place or show. You will also get $250 free at Bovada for the Kentucky Derby.

In order to collect on the bet, every horse chosen must finish in the chosen order. If you select them to finish in order as 5-4-6-2, and instead they finish 5-4-2-6, your wager is lost. But should they come in 5-4-6-2 as predicted, the payout can be astronomical!

You are also given the option to “box” your selections, which will put in a series of bets for every possible order of the 4 horses you’ve selected. With a superfecta this will cost $24 if you choose $1 bets (as their are 24 possible outcomes). More on this can be found below.

Types of Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

There are three ways to place a Superfecta bet in horse racing betting:

Straight Superfecta
Superfecta Box
Superfecta Wheel

The minimum bet size in horse racing is generally $2, though most Superfecta bets are reduced to a $1 minimum. For this reason, we’ll be using a $1 wager in the following examples.

Straight Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

The Straight Superfecta is the most simplistic of all Superfecta bets. The bettor chooses four horses, selecting the exact order they will finish – first, second, third and fourth. The bet slip would read something like this: $1 Superfecta 5-4-6-2.

It would be a $1 bet that the #5 horse would Win, the #4 horse Place (second), the #6 horse Show (third) and the #2 horse finish fourth.

Superfecta Box Horse Racing Betting

The Superfecta Box is a similar bet, but includes all possible combinations of the chosen horses to finish in any given order. A $1 Superfecta Box would cost the bettor $24, as there are 24 possible ways to combine the finishing order of four horses.

Superfecta Betting

For example, $1 Superfecta Box (5-4-6-2) is a $24 bet ($1 each) on the following 24 possible outcomes:

What Is A Superfecta Bet In Horse Racing

5-4-6-2; 5-4-2-6; 5-2-4-6; 5-2-6-4; 5-6-4-2; 5-6-2-4
4-2-5-6; 4-2-6-5; 4-5-2-6; 4-5-6-2; 4-6-5-2; 4-6-2-5
2-4-5-6; 2-4-6-5; 2-5-4-6; 2-5-6-4; 2-6-4-5; 2-6-5-4
6-2-4-5; 6-2-5-4; 6-4-2-5; 6-4-5-2; 6-5-2-4; 6-5-4-2

Bettors can also choose to add more than 4 horses to a Superfecta Box, but the price rises with each possible combination.

5 horses = $60
6 horses = $120
7 horses = $210
8 horses = $336

What Is A Superfecta Bet In Horse Racing

Superfecta Wheel Horse Racing Betting

The Superfecta Wheel is used when you are certain which horse will win, but aren’t so convinced on the exact order of the next three horses. Instead of paying full price for the Superfecta Box, you would choose the winning horse, followed by three more horses to finish in the next three positions. (See our Horse Racing Wheel Betting Article)

Let’s say you want the #5 horse to win, with 4-6-2 finishing in second, third and fourth. The bet slip would read“$1 Superfecta Wheel 5 with 4-6-2 with 4-6-2 with 4-6-2 = $6”. There are six possible combinations, therefore 6-$1 bets made.

Superfecta Horse Racing Betting Payouts

There is no set payout in pari-mutuel horse racing betting. The payoff for a Superfecta will always be determined by the overall purse, and how much of that money was placed on the winning Superfecta, as opposed to any other bets placed. The tote board at the horse racing track won’t display the probably payout either since there are simply too many combinations in Superfecta horse racing betting to display them all.

Ready to test your luck with a Superfecta bet? Click here for $250 free at Bovada for the Kentucky Derby