Triple Crown 2019
*For the latest info on each horse in the race, check out the 2020 Kentucky Derby Preview!
Triple Crown Betting: Everything You Need to Know
Horse racing doesn’t get more exhilarating than the Triple Crown. Champions of the Triple Crown are hard to come by, and when they do come, they become rock stars of the racing world. If you’re new to the Triple Crown, or horse racing in general, this guide will equip you with all the knowledge needed to join the excitement and potentially win some cash while you’re at it.
What is the Triple Crown?
Every year, the world’s best three-year-old horses have an opportunity to go down in history by winning the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Triple Crown trophy is awarded to horses that win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, with each race having a different distance and taking place at a difference venue in the USA. The three races take place in just over a month’s time, which is very tight for professional racers. Odds to win the Triple Crown are slim for even the most talented race horses, as only 12 horses have achieved the title in the history of the sport in North America.
The Triple Crown Explained
Any horses competing in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in a single year could become Triple Crown champions. For a horse to win the title, he or she must win all three races, which is incredibly challenging given that each race is a different distance, at a different track, and categorized as a grade 1 event. The horses that do manage to win each race, and thus the Triple Crown, go on to retire as studs, with breeding rights being sold for millions of dollars.
What Horse Races Make Up the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown comprises the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes – all grade 1 races. These races are for three-year-old colts and fillies.
The Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby has been run annually at Churchill Downs since 1875, when 10,000 spectators watched 15 Thoroughbreds compete over 1 ½ miles. Now it’s a 1 ¼ mile race between 20 horses. The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday of every May. The purse for this grade 1 race is $2 million, with $1.24 million going to the winner.
The Preakness Stakes
Two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes happens at Pimlico Racecourse. This race dates back to 1873 when it was held for three-year-olds who competed over 1 ½ miles. It’s still for three-year-olds, but the distance has been reduced to 1 3/16 miles. The field comprises up to 14 horses.
The Belmont Stakes
Also known as the Test of the Champion, the Belmont Stakes is a lengthy 1 ½ mile race held at Belmont Park every June. It’s considered the final test of horses who’ve won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes because the distance requires a different racing style and higher level of stamina. If a horse wins the Belmont Stakes after also winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, they win the Triple Crown.
The Triple Crown's Rich History
The three races that make up the Triple Crown were running as far back as 1875, but it wasn’t until 1919 that a horse won all three (Sir Barton). Eleven years later, another horse (Gallant Fox) won all three races, and the Daily Racing Form used the term “Triple Crown” to highlight the significance of the achievement. In total, 12 horses have earned the title, with the most recent one coming from American Pharoah in 2015.
2019 Triple Crown in Doubt
The 2019 Kentucky Derby had a controversial finish, leading to the disqualification of Maximum Security. This has led to trainer Jason Servis and his team removing the thoroughbred from the 2019 Preakness Stakes.
Also, the improbable (no pun intended), 65-1 Derby winner Country House may be a scratch due to a cough. WIth Country House not in the Preakness Stakes, there will be no chance at a 2019 Triple Crown winner.
Betting on the Triple Crown
Betting has been an integral part of horse racing since it started, and Triple Crown betting is no exception. Every year, millions of fans enjoy betting on the Triple Crown by placing wagers on the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont, hoping to win some cash while experiencing the thrill of the race. These wagers consist of straight wagers, which are ideal for people who bet on horse racing for fun, and exotic bets, which are popular with seasoned bettors who want bigger payouts.
Straight Wagers for the Triple Crown (Win/Place/Show)
Straight wagers are a great place for beginners to start. With these, you’re picking a horse (or multiple horses) to win the race or finish in the top two or three. The Win bet requires your horse to win the race outright. The Place bet requires your horse to win or place second. As for the Show bet, it requires your horse to come in first, second, or third place.
To place one of these bets, find the Win/Place/Show header for the race. Each contender has morning line odds listed, as well as boxes labelled “W” for win, “P” for place, and “S” for show. The morning line odds are a prediction made by oddsmakers since the actual odds are determined once the results come in – through pari-mutuel betting. All bets are placed in pools, and once the race concludes, juice is removed from the pool, which goes towards the winning bettors.
Exotic Bets for the Triple Crown
When you want to bet on several horses in the same race, you can use exotic bets. These wagers consist of predicting the finishing order of two to four horses. In order from the most straightforward exotic bets to the most complicated one, you have Quinellas, Exactas, Trifectas, and Superfectas.
Exacta Betting on the Triple Crown
The Exacta requires predicting the top two finishers in the correct order. To bet on an Exacta, go to the “Exacta” header for the race you want, and pick the horse you believe will finish first and the horse that will finish second. Both horses must finish in the position you pre-determined in order for the bet to pay out.
Trifecta Betting on the Triple Crown
The Trifecta is a bet on the top three finishers in the right order. In the “Trifecta” portion of the racecard, there are boxes to select the first place, second place, and third place finishers. All three of your selections must finish in the position you selected for them in order for your Trifecta bet to win.
Superfecta Betting on the Triple Crown
For a Superfecta to pay out, you must accurately predict the winner, second, third and fourth-place finishers of a race. To make a Superfecta bet, go to the “Superfecta” section of the racecard, and select the horses that will finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. All your selections must pan out as you predicted in order for your bet to win.
Quinella Betting on the Triple Crown
Similar to an Exacta bet, the Quinella pays out when you guess the top two finishers of a race. But unlike the Exacta, you don’t need to get them in the correct order to win. For example, if you think two horses are going to dominate a race, but aren’t sure which one will win, you may want to place a Quinella. The payout is the same regardless of which horse finishes first or second. This bet is beneficial for bettors who like low risk, or when there are two favourites for a race.
Boxed Wagers for the Triple Crown
When you box a wager, you no longer have to guess the correct order of your chosen horses. You simply have to guess the top two, three, or four horses for the race. For example, a Superfecta bet typically requires you to guess which horse will win, and which will place second, third and fourth in any given race. Box the Superfecta, and you don’t need to get the correct order. Boxing a bet makes it easier to get a payout, but offers lower payouts to coincide with the reduced risk.
Wheeled Bets for the Triple Crown
A wheeled bet involves betting on one horse to place a certain way (win, place second) and a number of horses to place another way. For example, an Exacta required you to guess the winner and runner up of a race, but if you want a wheeled Exacta, you can bet on one horse to win the race, and three horses to finish second. Then, as long as your predicted winner places first and one of your three selections for second place second, you win. Wheeled bets are great for when there’s a heavy favourite and a lot of secondary threats. Overall, wheel bets reduce risk and offer smaller payouts than standard exotics.
Triple Crown Futures Bets
Futures betting involves betting on the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and/or Belmont Stakes in advance. Futures bets offer great payouts because there’s uncertainty involved. For example, you can make a Kentucky Derby futures bet before the final competing field has even been set. If the horse you bet on gets scratched, you lose your futures bet.
Triple Crown Prop Bets
Prop betting is a recent development in the horse racing world. Big events like the Triple Crown come with all sorts of different propositions from oddsmakers on things beyond predicting the winner of a race. Examples of prop bets include: Will [insert horse name] go on to win the Triple Crown? The horse’s Triple Crown odds will be beside the “Yes” and “No” betting options. A popular prop for Preakness Stakes betting is: Will the Kentucky Derby winner win the Preakness Stakes? Since 2000, 41% of the Kentucky Derby winners also won the Preakness Stakes. Betting on props is a fun way to get involved in Triple Crown betting beyond the standard “predicting the winner” wagers.
Coupled Entry Bets for the Triple Crown
When one trainer has more than one horse in a race, you can bet on either of the contenders to win by placing a Coupled Entry. For example, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert often has several horses in the Triple Crown races. Group his entries together and get paid if any of them win by using the Coupled Entry option.
Pick 3 and Pick 4 Bets for the Triple Crown
In a Pick 3 and Pick 4 wager, you’re betting on three or four consecutive races. You must successfully pick the winner of all three (for a Pick 3) or four (for a Pick 4) races for your bet to pay out. For example, Kentucky Derby Day usually consists of 14 horse races. Pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby as well as the winners of the two races before it through a Pick 3.
Daily Double Bets for the Triple Crown
If you plan on betting on just two consecutive races, you can group them together using the Daily Double option. In order for the Daily Double to pay out, you must have successfully bet on the winner of both races that are happening back to back.
Which of these horse racing wagers appeals to you? If you’re comfortable with risk and like the idea of winning big, the exotic bets should provide you with everything you need. If you’re looking to bet for the fun of it, straight wagers and props will give you that little bit of thrill needed to elevate the experience. Best of luck and may the best horse win.
*Odds as of May 9, 2019