Wagering

The thrill of horse racing often involves placing a bet on your favorite horse. Whether it’s the name, the color or the number, here are some pointers to help you place a bet to maximize your winnings.

Entries Results Race Day Changes

Exotic Wagers

Exacta: An exacta wager is placing a wager on two horses to come in first and second. To win, the horses must come in that exact order. However, you can also box your exacta wager. If you box your wager, the top two horses can come in any order, and you will still win. It costs twice as much to box an exacta.

Trifecta: A trifecta is selecting three horses to finish in first, second, and third. To win, they must finish in that exact order. You can also box a trifecta wager. If your horses finish in first, second, and third in any order, you will win. However, it costs more to box your wager, but the payout is typically bigger.

Superfecta: Superfecta is selecting four horses to finish in first, second, third and fourth. They must finish in that exact order. You can also box a superfecta wager. If your horses finish in first, second, third and fourth in any order, you will win. Superfecta bets are available for as little as 10 cents per wager. However, it costs more money to box your wager, but the payout is typically bigger. A 10-cent superfecta box (with four horses) would only cost $2.40.

Daily Double: A Daily Double is selecting the winners of two consecutive designated races. Colonial Downs offers “rolling Daily Doubles” beginning with Race 1, meaning there is a Daily Double covering Races 1 & 2; Races 2 & 3; Races 3 & 4, etc. VAC10-20-330

Pick 3: A Pick 3 is selecting the winners of three consecutive designated races. Colonial Downs offers “rolling Pick 3’s” beginning with Race 1, meaning there is a Pick 3 covering Races 1-3; Races 2-4; Races 3-5, etc. VAC10-20-330

Pick 4: A Pick 4 is selecting the winners of four consecutive designated races. Colonial Downs offers multiple Pick 4 wagers during the racing program. There is an Early Pick 4 covering Races 2-5 on Thursday and Saturday; and Races 4-7 on Fridays. The Late Pick 4 covers the last four races daily. On selected days a Middle Pick 4 will be offered on selected races. VAC10-20-330

Pick 5: An “Early Pick 5” will be offered on the first five (5) flat (non-steeplechase) races daily. A “Late Pick 5” will be offered on the last five (5) races daily. If there are no wagers with the winner in all five races, 25% will be paid to those selecting the most winners and 75% will be added to the carryover. Any carryover amount from either Pick 5 will be moved into the following day’s like Pick 5. There is a mandatory payout of the entire net pool on the last day of the race meet. VAC10-20-330

Pick 6: A “Pick 6” will be offered on the last six (6) races daily. In the Pick 6, 75% of the net pool and carryover, if any, will be paid to those selecting the first-place finisher in each of the Pick 6 races and 25% of the net Pick 6 pool will be paid to those who selected the first-place finisher in the second greatest number of Pick 6 races. If there are no wagers with the winner in all six races, 25% will be paid to those selecting the most winners and 75% will be added to the carryover. There is a mandatory payout of the entire net pool on the last day of the race meet. VAC10-20-330

Win-Place-Show Wagers

Win: Placing a wager on a horse to win. That horse must come in first for you to win the wager.

Place: Wagering on a horse to come in first or second place. You win the wager if the horse comes in the top two.

Show: Wagering on a horse to finish in first, second, or third. You win the wager if the horse comes in the top three.

Placing a win, place, or show wager is a great place to start if you are new to horse wagering. The minimum wager for a win, place, or show wager is just $2. Once you’ve mastered the win, place, and show, you can move on to more complicated wagering.

BET MINIMUMS

$2.00 – Win, Place & Show
$1.00 – Exacta, Daily Double, Pick 3 & Pick 6
$0.50 – Trifecta, Pick 4 & Pick 5
$0.10 – Superfecta

WAGERING TAKEOUTS

18% – Win, Place & Show
22% – Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double, Pick 3 & Pick 4
12%– Pick 5
15%– Pick 6

Carryover Wagers

Colonial Downs offers two carryover wagers:

Pick 5: An “Early Pick 5” will be offered on the first five (5) flat (non-steeplechase) races daily. Any amount from either Pick 5 will be carried over to the following day’s like Pick 5 (early-to-early, late-to-late).

Pick 6: Offered on the last six (6) races.

Payout Rules

Daily Double

The Daily Double consists of selecting the winners of two consecutive designated races.
The Daily Double is a non-carryover wager at Colonial Downs.
If before the first race of a daily double is run, a horse entered in either race is scratched or otherwise prevented from racing, all money wagered on the affected horse shall be deducted from the daily double pool and refunded to the holders of tickets on the affected horse.
If after the first race of a daily double is run, a horse entered in the second race is scratched or otherwise prevented from racing, a consolation daily double shall be awarded. All tickets which select a horse in the first race with the affected horse in the second race shall be deducted from the daily double pool and this amount shall be placed in a consolation pool. The consolation pool shall be distributed as a straight pool to the holders of tickets who correctly selected the winner of the first race with the affected horse in the second race. VAC10-20-330

Pick Three

The Pick 3 consists of selecting the winners of three consecutive designated races.
The Pick 3 is a non-carryover wager at Colonial Downs.
A late scratch in any leg of the Pick Three will result in the actual favorite, as shown by the largest amount wagered in the win pool at the time of the start of the race, will be substituted for the non starting selection for all purposes, including pool calculations and payoffs. In the event that the win pool total for two or more favorites is identical, the substitute selection shall be the wagering interest with the lowest program number. When the condition of the turf course warrants a change of racing surface and such change has not been made known to the betting public prior to the close of wagering for the first leg of a Pick Three, the stewards shall declare each changed race an “all win“ and will be calculated as an “ALL” for the Pick Three purposes (All Pick Three tickets will receive the winner of the affected race as the selection for that race). VAC10-20-330

Pick Four

The Pick 4 consists of selecting the winners of four consecutive designated races.
The Pick 4 is a non-carryover wager at Colonial Downs.
A late scratch in any leg of the Pick Four will result in the actual favorite, as shown by the largest amount wagered in the win pool at the time of the start of the race, will be substituted for the non–starting selection for all purposes, including pool calculations and payoffs. In the event that the win pool total for two or more favorites is identical, the substitute selection shall be the wagering interest with the lowest program number.
There are no consolation payoffs in the Pick Four.
Any change in racing surface for the second, third, or fourth legs of the Pick Four, that was not made known to the public prior to the start of the first race of the Pick Four sequence, the stewards shall declare each changed race an “all win“ and will be calculated as an “ALL” for Pick 4 purposes (All Pick Four tickets will receive the winner of the affected race as the selection for that race).
There are no carryovers in the Pick Four; if no perfect tickets are sold the wager will pay to all tickets with the greatest number of winners. VAC10-20-330

Pick Five

The Pick 5 consists of selecting the winners of five consecutive designated races.
The Pick 5 is offered as a carryover wager at Colonial Downs.
All winning five out five tickets will share in the 100% of the daily net pool and 100% of any applicable carryover.
If no ticket is sold that designates the winner in each of the races comprising the Pick 5, 75% of the current day net pool shall be carried forward to the next like Pick 5 pool offered (i.e. Early Pick 5 to the next Early Pick 5 offered; Late Pick 5 to the next offered Late Pick 5). When there are no winning tickets with five (5) correct selections, all ticket holders with most but not all correct selections share in 25% of the daily net pool.
A late scratch in any leg of the Pick Five will result in the actual favorite, as shown by the largest amount wagered in the win pool at the time of the start of the race, will be substituted for the non-starting selection for all purposes, including pool calculations and payoffs. In the event that the win pool total for two or more favorites is identical, the substitute selection shall be the wagering interest with the lowest program number.
Any change in racing surface for the second, third, fourth or fifth legs of the Pick Five, that was not made known to the public prior to the start of the first race of the Pick Five sequence, the stewards shall declare each changed race an “all win“ and will be calculated as an “ALL” for Pick 5 purposes (All Pick Five tickets will receive the winner of the affected race as the selection for that race).
In addition, any surface change as depicted above results in the pool for the Pick Five, excluding any carryover, will be distributed as a single-priced pool. The carryover from previous days will be carried forward to the next racing day.
There is a mandatory payout of the entire net pool on the last day of the race meet. VAC10-20-330

Pick Six – Old Dominion 6

The Pick 6 consists of selecting the winners of six consecutive designated races.
The Pick 6 is offered as a carryover wager at Colonial Downs.
A late scratch in any leg of the Pick Six will result in the actual favorite, as shown by the largest amount wagered in the win pool at the time of the start of the race, will be substituted for the non-starting selection for all purposes, including pool calculations and payoffs. If there are two or more favorites in the win pool, both favorites will be substituted for the non-starting selection.
Any change in racing surface for any leg of the Pick Six, that was not made known to the public prior to the start of the first race of the Pick Six sequence, the stewards shall declare each changed race an “all win“ and will be calculated as an “ALL” for Pick 6 purposes (All Pick Six tickets will receive the winner of the affected race as the selection for that race).
In addition, any surface change as depicted above results in the pool for the Pick Six, excluding any carryover, will be distributed as a single-priced pool. The carryover from previous days will be carried forward to the next racing day.
All winning tickets with six correct selections will share in 75% of the current day’s net pool, plus 100% of the carryover. All tickets with the next-highest correct selections will share in 25% of the current day’s net pool.
When there are no winning tickets with six correct selections, the wager will pay to all tickets with the greatest number of winners. Those ticket holders will share 25% of the days’ net pool, with the remainder of the net pool carried over to the next racing day. There is a mandatory payout of the entire net pool on the last day of the race meet. VAC10-20-330

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