Boxes and Wheels
What It Means
Boxing a Bet is a term used when you select and wager on multiple horses but you are not sure of the order the horses will finish. Boxing simply means that if you pick the right horses, it doesn't matter what order they finish.
For example, in an Exacta Box bet, as long as the two horses you selected are the Top 2 finishers, regardless of what order they finish, YOU WIN!
The same rule applies for the Trifecta Box, Superfecta Box, and the Super Hi-5 Box bets.
Before You Box A Bet, Know This!
A Box Bet will cost you more than a straight bet.
Why? Because you are actually betting on each possible combination the horses could finish in.
Example:
Let's say you like three different horses in a particular race:
Horses #4, #5 and #6
Whereas a straight Exacta bet requires you to select the first and second horses in their exact order of finish, this three-horse Exacta Box bet example would give you six combinations and, thus, six different ways to win:
4-5, 4-6, 5-4, 5-6, 6-4, 6-5
Instead of making all six of these wagers separately, you simply ask for a:
$2 Exacta Box, 4-5-6.
Your cost for this bet: $12.
The following table shows the cost of various $2 Exacta Boxes:
| Number of Horses | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Combinations | 2 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 30 | 42 | 56 | 72 |
| Cost of $2 Bet | $4 | $12 | $24 | $40 | $60 | $84 | $112 | $144 |
Trifecta Box
When you select three or more horses in a race and wish to cover every possible trifecta combination with those selections, a Trifecta Box simplifies this bet.
Example:
Let's say you like four horses in a particular race:
Horses #3, #4, #5 and #6
Whereas a straight Trifecta bet requires you to select the first, second and third horses in their exact order of finish, this four-horse Trifecta Box example would give you 24 combinations:
3-4-5, 3-4-6, 3-5-4, 3-5-6, 3-6-4, 3-6-5, 4-3-5, and so forth
Instead of making all 24 wagers separately, you simply ask for a:
$1 Trifecta Box, 3-4-5-6.
Your cost for this bet: $24.
The following table shows the cost of various $2 Trifecta Boxes:
| Number of Horses | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Combinations | 6 | 24 | 60 | 120 | 210 | 336 |
| Cost of $2 Bet | $12 | $48 | $120 | $240 | $420 | $672 |
Key-Wheel
This type of wager can be used when you feel that one of your selections will finish in a certain position - either first, second or third. The horse you select to finish in a certain position is your "key" horse. The other horses you have selected may finish in any order and you are a winner.
Exacta Key-Wheel
When you select a horse to finish either first or second and key it in the exacta, you cover every combination so that if your horse finishes in the selected position, you will have the winning combination.
Example:
You like the #5 horse to win the seventh race, which has a seven-horse field.
Since the exacta requires you to select the first and second horses in their exact order of finish, this would involve six combinations:
5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-6 and 5-7
Instead of making all six combinations separately, you simply ask for a:
$2 Exacta Wheel, 5-ALL.
Your cost for this bet: $12.
Daily Double Key-Wheel
When you choose a horse to win the first half of the Daily Double and you Wheel it, you cover every combination so that if your horse wins, you have every horse in the second half of the Daily Double.
Example:
You like the #4 horse to win the first race.
Since the Daily Double requires you to pick the winners of two races, the number of combinations is the same as the number of horses in the other Daily Double race. So, if there are 11 horses in the second race, there would be 11 combinations:
4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 4-7, 4-8, 4-9, 4-10, 4-11
Instead of making all 11 combinations separately, you simply ask for a:
$2 Daily Double Wheel, 4-All.
Your cost for this bet: $22.
Back Wheel
You may also "Back Wheel" a horse.
If you like a horse in the second half of the Daily Double.
$2 Daily Double wheel, ALL-7.
In this case, you win if #7 wins the second half of the Daily Double.
Exacta Part Wheel
See explanation immediately below (Daily Double Part Wheel)
Daily Double Part Wheel
If you do not want to cover every combination, a part wheel reduces the number of possible combinations while still simplifying the bet.
Example:
A '$2 Daily Double Part Wheel, 5 with 1, 2, 5 and 7'. This would cover four possible combinations:
5-1, 5-2, 5-5, 5-7
Trifecta Part Wheel
When you select horses to finish in certain positions, a Trifecta Part Wheel simplifies the number of individual bets necessary to cover all possible winning combinations.
Example:
You like horses #2 and #3 to finish either first or second in the fourth race and horses #4, #5 or #6 to finish third.
Since the Trifecta requires you to select the first, second and third horses in exact order of finish, this would involve six combinations:
2-3-4, 3-2-4, 2-3-5, 3-2-5, 2-3-6, 3-2-6
Instead of making all six combinations separately, you simply ask for a:
$1 Trifecta Part Wheel, 2-3 with 2-3 with 4-5-6.
Your cost for this bet: $6.
The Trifecta Part Wheel allows you to preference your selections. In most cases, you will have one or two preferred choices to win, but since it is easier for less preferred horses to finish second and third, you would want to include more horses in these positions.
Trifecta Wheel
When you select a horse to finish either first, second or third and Wheel it in the Trifecta, you cover every combination so that if your horse finishes in the selected position, you will have the winning combination.
Example:
You like the #3 horse to finish second in the fourth race, which has a ten-horse field.
Since the Trifecta requires you to select the first, second and third horses in exact order of finish, this would involve 72 combinations:
1-(3)-2, 1-(3)-4,1-(3)-5. 2-(3)-1, 2-(3)-4.10-(3)-9
Instead of making all 72 combinations separately, you simply ask for a:
$1 trifecta wheel, ALL-3-ALL.
Your cost for this bet: $72.
The following table shows the costs of wheeling one horse in a specific position in the Trifecta. The cost is the same whether the position selected is first, second or third, but varies based on the size of the field:
| Number of Horses | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Combinations | 30 | 42 | 56 | 72 | 90 | 110 |
| Cost of $2 Bet | $60 | $84 | $112 | $144 | $180 | $220 |