When you look at all of the different betting options available for any horse race, it can be tough to know where to start. The easiest way to go is to simply put on win, place, or show tickets, but if you want to cash some bigger winning tickets, you need to start playing the exotics. The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, goes off this Saturday, June 11 at Belmont Park in New York, and there is a real chance to make some money on this one. Exaggerator is sure to come in as the firm favorite at not so great odds, and if you believe he will win, it’s then up to you to decide which horses will finish behind him in the money. If you can figure that out, you are in with a real shot at having a very nice day with your exotics bets. We will look at all of your betting options this week, but let’s start out by taking a look at the exacta, and how you can use the sportsbook odds to your advantage.
Taking a Sneak Peak at the 2016 Belmont Stakes Exacta Betting Picks
The draw for the @WoodfordReserve Manhattan is underway! pic.twitter.com/nDxnvSIZju
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 8, 2016
Playing the Favorite on Top in the Exacta
The favorite only wins horse races about 30% of the time, but the fact of the matter is that some favorites are better than others. Preakness winner Exaggerator is going to be the favorite at the Belmont on Saturday, so let’s assume that he will win, how would you play this exacta?
The easiest way to go is with a straight exacta pick, which would require you to select the exact order of finish of the top 2. For that, I would take Exaggerator and Stradivari. If you want to give yourself more chances to win, try playing a few horses in the second spot, with the favorite on top. Multiply your stake by the number of horses in that second place spot. For example, if you take Exaggerator with 3 other horses, you will pay $3 on a $1 stake.
Looking at Other Exacta Options
If you want to keep your options open and hedge your bets a little, try a 3 horse exacta box. This will give you 6 potential winning combinations, and will help cover you if the favorite comes up short. The cost of this ticket is your stake multiplied by the number of potential winning combinations, which would mean this would cost $6 on a $1 stake. Any of your 3 horses finishing in the top two in any order gets you the win.
Another good way to cover yourself is to play 3 horses on top and 4 in the second place spot. You are only playing 4 horses here, but giving yourself multiple ways to potentially win. You would play the ticket as horse 1,2,3 with 1,2,3,4, and it would cost you $9 for a $1 stake. The horses I Would use here are Exaggerator, Stradivari, Suddenbreakingnews, and Brody’s Cause.
Be sure to pay attention to the live odds and potential exacta payouts, as this will help you decide the most profitable way to bet.
