• One Dollar Exacta Box
• Horse Racing Exacta Systems
• Horse Racing Exacta Box
• Exacta Betting In Horse Racing

An exacta, also known as a perfecta at some horse racing tracks, means you must select the first two finishers in exact, or perfect order. By playing an exacta part wheel, you increase your chance of winning while also increasing your cost. The exacta horse racing bet is one of the most popular exotics on the menu at an online racebook. For many years it was the only exotic bet available to bettors. An exacta requires the bettor to select the first two finishers of a race in exact order. It can be a challenging task to pull off, but the rewards are great for those who are able to.

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'Give me a $20 exacta, 3-7. I have have this in the bag.'

What is an Exacta, Exactor or Perfecta?

They are all one in the same.

At the ticket window, pick the two horses that will finish in first and second place in the EXACT order. You win your bet if the horses you pick finish in first and second place in the EXACT order.The minimum amount that can be wagered is $1 but keep in mind that payouts would be paid out at half as the odds are calculated at a $2 bet value.

Exacta Box

With an Exacta Box you will win your bet if the horses you pick finish in first and second place in either order with as many horses as you wish.

The minimum amount that can be wagered is $1 per combination. So a 2 horse exacta box at $1 will cost a minimum of $2. A further breakdown:

Exacta boxes they are the most popular method of playing exactas because they are easier to understand and offer the greatest chance of cashing a ticket.

It is important to note that this is not a wise betting strategy simply because all of the horses in the box do not have the same chance of finishing first or second. Your ticket may pay out at a loss.

Because exacta boxes rate each combination in the box as having the exact same probability of winning (which is never the case) they produce a bias in the exacta betting pools. It is this bias that smart bettors look for and try to take advantage of.

One Dollar Exacta Box

Exacta Wheels

Pick a horse to finish either first or second and wheel it in the exacta, you cover every combination so that if your horse finishes in the first or second position, you will have the winning combination.

For example, if you were to play a $1 exacta wheel with a 'key' horse of #3 to come first, the #3 horse would have to win and any of 1,2,4,5,6,7,8 would have to finish second in order for you to cash your ticket.

Or, if you think the 'key' horse #3 has a better chance of finishing second, you might play a $1 exacta wheel. In this case any horse in the race could win and the 3 horse would have to finish second in order for you to cash your ticket.

Either way, in an eight-horse field it would cost you $7 as you are wagering 7 separate $1 exactas betting horses 3-1, 3-2, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6, 3-7, 3-8 or horses 1-3, 2-3, 4-3, 5-3, 6-3, 7-3, 8-3.

Exactas can also be played as part-wheels where you might play a $1 exacta part-wheel horse #3 with 2, 4, 5 (three possible winning combinations of 3-2, 3-4, 3-5) at a cost of $3. Or you might play the part-wheel the other way, 2, 4, 5 with 3 (also three possible winning combinations of 2-3, 4-3, 5-3) at a cost of $3. Part exacta wheels reduce some of the bias of betting exacta boxes.

Exacta Betting Strategies

Through handicapping you determine horse #5 has a 50% chance of winning the race, horse #6 has a 20% chance of winning and horse #7 has a 10% chance of winning. You will be spending $60 on this race.

Option 1.
You play an exacta box of 5-6-7 which is 6 exactas at $10 each.

Option 2.
You play an exacta part-wheel keying #5 to win with 6, 7 and a second part-wheel with 6, 7 with keying #5 to place which is 4 exactas at $15 each.

Option 3.
You play an exacta part-wheel keying #5 to win with 6, 7 and a second part-wheel with 6, 7 with keying #5 to place based on the winning percentages you determined through handicapping: #5 at 50%, #6 at20%, and #7 at 10%.

Lets break it down by risk vs reward.

Option 1
The exacta box rates each possible combination as having the same probability of winning, which according to your handicapping is not correct.

Option 2.
The part-wheel in this case is more efficient, leaving out the less probable combinations of 6-7 and 7-6, but still rating both the 6 and 7 horses as having the same probability of winning or finishing second.

Option 3.
Offers the highest risk/reward ratio as determined #5 at 50%, #6 at20%, and #7 at 10%.

Horse Racing Exacta Systems

The results:
You killed it! The race ran exactly as your handicapping said it would – the 5 horse won and the 6 horse ran second. The $2 exacta 5-6 paid $20 so your returns are $10 per dollar wagered. Let's see your possible payouts:

Option 1. Exactor Box
$10 exacta 5-6 pays $100. $100 - $60 ticket cost = $40 Profit

Option 2. Part Wheel
$15 exacta 5-6 pays $150. $150 - $60 ticket cost = $90 Profit

Option 3. Part Wheel correlated to probabilities.
$30 exacta 5-6 pays $300. $300 - $60 ticket cost = $240 Profit

The final exacta wagering strategy, which places more money on the higher probability combinations as identified by your handicapping.

Due to bias in the exacta pools, it is best to avoid combining favorites or long shots in your exactas. The best payouts are for two medium-priced horses.

What is an Exacta?

• A Tote Exacta bet requires you to pick the first and second horses to finish in a race.
• This can be a straight Exacta or a reverse Exacta.
• Minimum total stake for an Exacta bet is 50p.

How do Tote Exacta bets work?

Aim for a big dividend payout by finding the first two horses to finish in any race. If you fancy a particular finishing order, then a straight Exacta is the bet to strike. If you want to cover yourself, a reverse Exacta means you’ll be paid out if your chosen horses finish first and second in the either order.

Winning a Tote Exacta bet

While the premise of a Tote Exacta is to back the two horses that finish first and second in the race of your choice, there are three ways in which you can place an Exacta bet.

Straight Exacta

This is the simplest way, and the one that will generally see you return more on your initial stake. For this bet to you win, you pick two horses to come first and second, in that order. If you they do, you win a share of the money in the Tote Exacta pool.

Combination Exacta

Think you know which two horses will come home first, but not sure which order? Then this is the bet for you. With a combination exacta your bet will include both Horse A to finish 1^st ahead of Horse B, as well as Horse B coming 1^st, with Horse A in 2^nd.

You need to remember that by placing a Tote Exacta of this kind, you are essentially having two bets, with your selections reversed. Therefore, your stake will be double to that of a Straight Exacta.

A Combination Exacta doesn’t have to be limited to just two horses either. You can choose as many horses as you like to make up your bet. Once again, because you are multiplying your potential winning lines, you are also multiplying your stake.

For example, choosing three horses in your Combination Exacta would mean your bet would include 12 bets, with the following potential winning combinations:

Horse A 1^st, Horse B 2^ndHorse A 1^st, Horse C 2^nd
Horse B 1^st, Horse A 2^nd
Horse B 1^st, Horse C 2^nd
Horse C 1^st, Horse A 2^nd
Horse C 1^st, Horse B 2^nd

If there’s one horse your particularly keen on, but you can’t decide between a couple of others to fill the runners-up spot, a Banker Exacta could be the bet for you.

We've reduced the minimum stake per bet to just 1p, meaning it's more affordable than ever to place a big combination Exacta, just as long as the total stake is at least 50p.

Banker Exacta

With this bet, you fix the horse to finish first, but cover the permutations of any other number of horses to finish second.

In effect this type of bet sits somewhere in the risk stakes of a Straight Exacta and Combination Exacta.

Non-Runners in Tote Exacta bets

The repercussions of a non-runner in a Tote Exacta bet that you have placed depends on the number of horses you have included.

Horse Racing Exacta Box

For Straight Exactas, a non-runner would deem your whole bet void.

If you have multiple lines and combinations in your bet, then only those scenarios including that horse would be deemed void, and your stake returned, the remaining bets will stand.

How to place a Tote Exacta bet online

To place a Tote Exacta bet online, just navigate to the meeting and race you wish to bet on and select the Tote Exacta tab above the racecard.

Choose whether you want to place a Straight Exacta with two horses or a Banker or Combination Exacta with three or more horses.

Select your horses, and click on ‘1^st’, ‘2^nd’ or ‘Any’ to specify where in your Tote Exacta you are betting for them to come. Once you have added all your desired horses to the betslip, enter your stake and place your bet.

How to place a Tote Exacta bet on course

To place a bet on course just head to one of the Tote kiosks and tell our staff that you’d like to place a Tote Exacta, and which horses you’d like to bet on. Tell them your stake, and they will help you placing your bet.

Exacta Betting In Horse Racing

Remember to always check your slip before leaving the counter to make sure your bet is correct.