How does horse race scoring work?

Question

How does horse race scoring work?

Answer 1

only in harness racing to they score in racing...it just means..raced...

Answer 2

Ermm, I don't understand your question!  There is no "scoring" in racing.

Be more specific and we will try to help you.

Answer 3

The simplest answer is Win,Place,Show.

Win is coming in first

Place is coming in 2nd.

Show is coming in 3rd.

To win a win wager, your horse needs to win.

To win a place wager, your horse needs to come in 2nd or better.

To win a show wager, your horse needs to finish 3rd or better.  

It is easier to win a show bet than a win bet, so the payouts are almost always less than a win bet.

When you see a race's results, they might look something like this:

4 Curlin_____10.80___5.20___4.20  

8 Hard Spun_________7.60___5.80  

6 Awesome Gem____________9.40

It means Curlin paid 10.80 on a $2 win wager (win place and show wager payouts always reflect a default $2 wager).  So if you bet $2 on Awesome Gem to show, you got paid $9.40.

If you mean a horse's odds, the numbers next to each horse before a race reflect how much money is being bet on a horse.  In the above race (2007 Breeder's Cup Classic).  Curlin was 4-1.  (hence he paid around $10 to win).  The higher the number, the more of a "longshot" the horse is to win. In that race, Diamond Stripes was 38-1.  The horse with the lowest odds is the favorite.  In this race it was Street Sense, at 5-2.

Check out the following guide, by the Daily Racing Form: