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Horse racing fans who have had success with Exacta and Trifecta betting often want to up the stakes and make their first Superfecta bet. A Superfecta bet means the person placing the wager must correctly predict the horses that will come in first, second, third, and fourth place. The horses must finish in the exact order for the bettor to win the pot.
Some racetracks have a minimum bid of one dollar, although others will allow people to start as low as 10 cents per bid. There is no maximum on the amount a person can bid on a Superfecta. If one or more payouts occur, those holding the winning tickets split the pool after the track deducts its commission. Although predicting the top four finishers in a horse race is exceedingly difficult, those who do so stand to win up to several thousand dollars.
The Boxed Superfecta Option
Bettors who choose to do a boxed Superfecta are still required to select the top four horses in the correct order. However, the horses can finish the race in any combination. The benefit for those placing bets is that they can select more than four runners in the race. This can be a good option if they understand that it will cost additional money.
Superfecta Bets at Triple Crown Races
People interested in placing a Superfecta bet can take home the biggest prize at a Triple Crown race. There are several reasons for this, including larger fields, more longshots entered in the race, and a larger betting pool to provide a more generous payout. Anyone who is considering placing a Superfecta wager for the first time may want to wait until the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, or the Belmont Stakes. Both online and in-person bets are available.
Big Superfecta Payouts from the 2017 Kentucky Derby
Anyone who feels that predicting the top four finishers in a Triple Crown Race is impossible should take heart. At the Kentucky Derby on May 6, an unnamed bettor claimed a prize worth $75,974 by doing just that. His choices of Always Dreaming, Lookin at Lee, Battle of Midway, and Classic Empire finished the race in the exact order he said they would.
A group of 20 friends who bet on the Kentucky Derby annually (and donate any winnings to charity) also hit the Superfecta jackpot this year. Led by Soozie Eastman, the group hosts an event called Unbridled Eve Gala each year at the Galt House located on Derby Avenue. On the day of the Kentucky Derby, the entire group spends the day at Churchill Downs. They use size to their advantage to go in on several Superfecta tickets. They ended up with 1,800 picks between them, all from one dollar tickets. By the end of the race, they claimed a prize of $151,000.
Eastman’s group is excited to donate their winning proceeds to organizations such as Blessings in a Backpack. Just as exiting for the 20 friends is the fact that they have been waiting for this day for 12 years.