Superfecta Horse Racing
Superfecta is one of the most popular exotic bet types among horse racing enthusiasts. The primary reason why it’s so popular in the horse betting community is due to the potential rewards you can earn without having to risk a large sum of money.
Feb 01, 2021 Owner: Adelphi Racing Club, Cutair Racing and Hahn, Brian. Mutuel Pool $253,237 Daily Double Pool $27,845 Exacta Pool $126,296 Superfecta Pool $50,301 Super High Five Pool $3,539 Trifecta Pool. Superfecta Calculator. In a Superfecta, you are selecting the top four horses in exact order of finish. Superfecta Part Wheel. You can key one or more horses in any of the four positions. If you like a particular horse, you may want to key that horse on top. $1 Superfecta Key. Jan 18, 2021 Mutuel Pool $388,572 Daily Double Pool $35,851 Exacta Pool $204,349 Superfecta Pool $77,045 Trifecta Pool $130,569 X-5 Super High Five Pool $5,750. 50-Cent Pick Three (8-2-8. Racing Info.net provides the ebook of profitable horse racing winning systems including the proven 10 cent superfecta systems.
A superfecta bet has the potential to reward you with tens of thousands of dollars by merely placing a $1 wager. In some cases, the payouts can even exceed a million dollars, making it easy to understand why it’s so popular.
One of the biggest superfecta payouts occurred at the 2005 Kentucky Derby, when one lucky bettor walked away with an impressive $864,253 on a $1 superfecta bet. Can you imagine winning such a large sum of money from such an insignificant bet amount?
The only downside to a superfecta bet is the fact that it’s nearly impossible to get right. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a serious handicapper to place a superfecta bet. Even a complete beginner has the ability to get lucky and win a large sum of money.
Here, we will take an in-depth look into superfecta bets, how they work and the different types of superfecta bets you will come across either online or next to the track. We also look at the origins of the superfecta bet, include a couple of frequently asked questions, and focus on the calculation and payouts of this popular bet type to significantly boost your confidence and your chances of hitting an enormous payout the next time you bet on a horse racing event. Let’s go…
What is a superfecta in horse racing?
A superfecta bet in horse racing is an exotic bet that requires you to predict which four horses will finish in the top four positions in a single racing event. You will need to select the four horses you believe will finish the race, and you will also need to correctly predict in which order each of the four horses will finish. You will only win your bet when all four horses finish the race in the order you predicted.
You should now have a better understanding as to why this exotic bet type is nearly impossible to get right. Quite often, it is extremely difficult to predict the winner in any given race, never mind the horses that will finish in second, third and fourth place, as well.
Even though it’s nearly impossible to correctly predict a superfecta bet, it’s still an attractive betting option in horse racing as it only costs $1. Where else do you get the opportunity to walk away with a large sum of money, usually a payout into the tens of thousands of dollars?
Now that you have a better understanding of the superfecta bet, it’s time to learn the different variations of this bet and how each one works.
Types of superfecta bets
In this section, we are going to explore the various superfecta bet types you will come across next to the racetrack or when you place a bet online. The superfecta bet types we will discuss in this section include straight superfecta, superfecta key, superfecta full wheel, superfecta part wheel and superfecta box. There’s also an example of each superfecta bet type to make it easier to understand, because we’re nice like that.
Straight superfecta
A straight superfecta bet is regarded as one of the most straightforward and popular superfecta bet types. The reason for this is that you merely need to select four horses from a single race and predict the exact order in which they will finish. In most betting destinations, you will notice that a straight superfecta is usually $2.
Example: Let’s say you select horse No. 3 to win the race, horse No. 4 to place second, horse No. 8 to place third and horse No. 9 to place fourth. Your bet ticket will look like this: $2 superfecta (3-4-8-9)
Superfecta key
A superfecta key bet requires you to select a key horse to win the race, along with any combination of three or more horses to finish in the top four positions. You won’t be required to predict the horses that will finish second, third and fourth, though.
Example: Let’s say you select horse No. 6 as your key horse to finish in first place on top of horse Nos. 1, 3, 8 and 10. A superfecta key bet will only cost $1, and you will win if horse No. 6 wins the race, and any of your other selected horses finish the race in second, third and fourth.
Superfecta full wheel
This superfecta bet type is used when you are confident in a specific horse to win the race but not confident enough to know which of the other horses will place in second, third and fourth. You will use this bet type to cover all possible straight superfecta combinations that involve the horse you believe will win the race.
Example: Let’s say you select horse No. 8 to win the race and use this bet to cover all possible combinations that include horse No. 8 to win. The cost of this bet will depend on the number of horses in the race. Six horses will cost you $60 for the bet, while 12 horses will cost you $990.
Superfecta part wheel
With a superfecta part wheel bet, you will essentially avoid covering all possible positions, which you would cover in a superfecta full wheel bet. Instead, you will only cover the combinations that involve any horses that you believe will likely finish the race in the second, third and fourth position.
Example: Let’s say you believe horse no. 8 will win, and Nos. 1, 3, 6 and 9 will be the only horses to finish in the top four positions. You will then take a superfecta part wheel bet type where you will have No. 8 in first place, along with combinations that only include the four horses you selected in the next three positions. This bet will cost you $24, as you will need to cover 24 combinations.
Superfecta box
This bet type is considered the easiest of all the superfecta bet types, as you merely need to select four horses that will finish the race in the top four spots without having to provide the order in which they will finish. Please be aware, however, that you will need to cover all possible combinations of how the four horses will finish in the top four positions. The more horses you select, the higher the cost will become. For instance, four horses will only cost you $24 for 24 combinations. However, seven selections will cost you $840 for 840 combinations, while 12 selections will cost you $11,880 for 11,880 combinations.
Example: Let’s say you select Nos. 3, 6, 9 and 12 to finish the race in the top four positions. This bet will cost you $24 as there’s a total of 24 combinations with the four horses you selected.
How does superfecta betting work in horse racing?
Horse Racing Games
The best way to describe how a superfecta bet works in horse racing is to look at an example. Let’s say you are interested in a 10-horse race, and you are confident what the outcome will be in terms of the top four finishers. You then decide that the final order of the top four runners will be horse Nos. 4, 7, 9 and 10. You then decide to place a superfecta bet that will look like this: 4-7-9-10. Your selected horses need to finish in that exact order for you to be a winner.
You can also go one step further to increase your chances of winning by altering the top-four combination you initially placed. For instance, you can spend more on a superfecta bet and also include combinations like 10-4-9-7 or 9-10-7-4. This will just give you a far better chance of winning a superfecta bet, especially when you think you know who the top four finishers will be in a 10-horse race.
What is the difference between superfecta and a superfecta box?
Horse Racing Nation
The primary difference between a straight superfecta bet and a superfecta box bet is that you will need to select four horses to finish in an exact order with a straight superfecta bet, while a superfecta box bet only requires that you select four horses to finish in the top four positions without having to provide the order in which they will finish.
It’s also worth mentioning that a straight superfecta bet will cost you far less when compared to a superfecta box bet, as you will need to cover all possible positions with a superfecta box bet, while a straight superfecta bet only requires that you cover the cost of the four horses you selected to finish in an exact order. There’s far fewer combinations to deal with in a straight superfecta bet.
How to calculate superfecta bets and payouts
Calculating superfecta bets and payouts is completely different from calculating traditional horse racing bets. Superfecta bets are all based on the popular pari-mutuel betting system. This basically means that the payouts do not rely on odds. Instead, superfecta payouts are based on the number of winning tickets and the overall size of the betting pool. Let’s use a simplified example to help you understand.
Let’s say there are 10,000 bettors who all purchased a $1 straight superfecta ticket for the upcoming race. The cost of each ticket is then placed in a betting pool, which means the betting pool size is $10,000. If only one bettor manages to win, the payout will be $10,000. If two bettors make the right selection, the payout would be $5,000 for each of them. If there are four winners, the payout would be $2,500 for each of them.
Superfecta vs. other exotic bets
Once you understand each and every exotic bet type in horse racing, you will realize that a superfecta bet is one of the most difficult bets to place. But as a result, it’s also one of the most rewarding bet types there is. When you compare the superfecta bet type to other exotic bets, you will notice that you will need to select more horses with a superfecta bet than any other exotic bet in horse racing.
For instance, an exacta bet will only require two selections in a single race event, and a trifecta bet only requires that you select three horses in a single race event. The only other exotic bet that requires a bigger selection is when you make a Pick 6 bet. However, this requires that you select a winner over six consecutive races.
Big superfecta bets in history
One of the biggest superfecta payouts that was ever recorded occurred at the 2013 Kentucky Derby, when one lucky lady placed 120 different $1 superfecta bets on the top four finishers of the race. She went on to win $28,500 at the event, and what makes it even more impressive is that this was her very first time placing bets on horses.
FAQ
What exactly is a superfecta bet in horse racing?
A superfecta is an exotic horse racing bet in which you’ll need to select four horses from a single racing event and predict in which order they will finish to be considered a winner. The four selected horses need to finish in the top four spots in the exact order you predicted to win.
What is the minimum stake on a superfecta bet?
The minimum stake when it comes to a superfecta bet is usually around $1. However, due to the difficulty behind this bet type, some places can go as low as $0.50 or even $0.10.
How much can I win on a superfecta bet?
This will greatly depend on the cost for a superfecta ticket and the amount of bettors who purchase a superfecta ticket for the event. A superfecta bet uses the pari-mutuel betting system, which means the ticket purchases are placed in a betting pool, which is then divided between those who have winning tickets after the race.
Which pays more, the trifecta or superfecta?
Due to the fact that you need to make an additional horse selection when it comes to superfecta bets, there’s no denying that a superfecta bet will pay more than a trifecta bet. A superfecta bet will provide far better odds than a trifecta bet as it’s more difficult to achieve.
What did the superfecta pay at the last Kentucky Derby?
The superfecta bet at the 2019 Kentucky Derby provided an astonishing payout of $51,400.10 on a mere $1 bet.
How many superfecta combinations are there in the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes had a total of 26 different combinations when it came to superfecta selections.
by Garnet Barnsdale
Last Saturday night at Northfield Park, an accident-marred race — which thankfully did not result in any serious injuries — caused a rare Superfecta carryover that caused abuzzbecause it seemed unfair to anyone who made a bet on that Superfecta in that race.
It started in Race 5, a $7,000 claiming race for fillies and mares. When pocket-sitting 8 to 5 favorite My Three Girls — in rein to leading driver Aaron Merriman — broke stride rounding the final turn then stumbled and fell, there was unfortunately no time for the trailing horses to avoid her. The two horses battling it out in front of her were clear and one of the trailing horses managed to get around her affected rivals (after getting briefly tangled) and finish the race in third, but distanced.
This meant that the official finish order showed three horses that completed the mile intact so there were the usual Win, Place and Show payouts and Exacta and Trifecta payouts. What started a minor Twitterbuzz was the Superfecta payout that showed that anyone holding a ticket with the first three finishers got a “consolation” payout of $1.40 for every 20-cent wager paid to 8-4-3-All while $5,363.04 of the $9,276 bet into the Superfecta pool got carried over to the 6th race Superfecta pool.
This prompted a promotional tweet from the Northfield Park Twitter account: Upcoming 6th Race Superfecta – $5,363 carryover – $20,000 guaranteed total pool! One follower of this account asked the question many others might have been thinking:
“Can you please provide the rule where the track gets to carryover the pool if paid to all because no one finished. Seems pretty horrible that the track gets to benefit because no one else finished.”
Rob MacLennan asked the question. No reply was tweeted.
The intent of this column is not to pick on Northfield Park because it seemed fairly obvious that they were simply following whatever rules were at their disposal. But it still rightfully left a bad taste in some bettors’ mouths. Punters who bet the Superfecta in this race had no opportunity to cash the ticket because there were not four official finishers. So, should they be penalized and have more than 50 per cent of the monies bet taken and carried over into the next race (while those that correctly forecasted the top three finishers be given a tiny “consolation” payoff that paid to “all in the 4th slot)?
Imagine you buy a lottery ticket and the machine that rolls the numbered balls out malfunctions and only five of the six balls draw. Would it be fair if they paid part of the prize pool to anyone having those five numbers on their tickets as a consolation prize and carried the rest of the money over to the next draw? There are only two options that should be considered in cases like this. The entire pool should pay to bettors that had the first three finishers on their tickets, or the entire Superfecta pool gets refunded. You shouldn’t take any portion of bettors’ money when they didn’t have a chance to cash due to the rare events that occurred within the race. Bottom line is, no bettor had the opportunity to cash because there was no official fourth-place finisher.
We aren’t talking about a huge amount of money here as there was $9,276 bet into this Superfecta pool. But $5,363 of that amount was carried over to the next race and that carryover helped generate a pool of more than $65,000 — by far the biggest pool of the night by more than $35,000.
The rub here is that carrying over a majority of a pool when no bettor correctly selects the top four finishers in a typical race just isn’t the same as moving part of the pool to the next race when no one had the chance to cash. It defeats the spirit of the rule. There has to be a better way.