Help me with my wagering. Horse race, trifecta, super etc.?

Question

I'll be at a track today with quite a few Maiden races (w/ low claiming prices) and the rest of the card contains very lackluster horses. I know the favorites rarely are a good bet, but wondered the best way to bet Tri's and Super's as far as a certain number of horses to box. Actually any recommendation is nice on how I should bet these slow pokes without placing Win/Place and Show bets.

Answer 1

Which track?

Answer 2

Bet the horses one stall away from your lead horse. This gives the lead horse room and then they have a better probability of bringing up second and third in your order.

Answer 3

The best way to choose maidens (especially first time starters) to bet is to look at their workouts and the records of their jockies and trainers (unless you know a lot about breeding).  If they've raced before, you can look at their past performances (and don't forget to pay attention to the condition of the track and post position).  Before making your bet, look for overlays (current odds that are greater than the morning line).  Betting overlays gives you more value for your dollar because the current odds are more than the "experts" expected them to be.

To save money when betting trifectas and superfectas, don't box all the horses.  Instead, choose two horses to come in first and second and several different horses to come in third.  For example, if you were to bet a $2 trifecta by boxing four horses, it would cost you $48 (4 * 3 * 2 * 1 * $2).  If you were to bet two of those horses to come in first and second, plus the other two to come in third, it would cost you $8 (2 * 2 * $2).  This is especially effective if you really like two horses (box them to come in first and second) and many others (including some longshots) have a chance at third.  Boxing the first two and betting four others to come in third only costs $16 (2 * 4 * $2).

Hope that helped.  Good luck at the track!