Trifecta Box Betting

What is a boxed trifecta?

The trifecta box bet is a variation of the straight trifecta that improves the bettor’s odds of picking a race’s first three finishers in order.

While straight trifecta bets involve picking exactly three horses to finish a race in first, second, and third place in that precise order, trifecta box bets can include three or more horses and cover all possible winning combinations.

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Much of the appeal of straight trifecta horse racing bets is their propensity to generate three or four-figure (or even higher) payouts on a lowly $2 wager. However, the rigidity of picking exactly three horses and predicting their exact finishing positions makes straight trifectas a tough sell for bettors who would prefer to win a little more consistently

The trifecta box bet provides a simple solution by covering more potential winning combinations while preserving the high-paying payouts that make the wager so attractive. Covering additional combinations comes at a price, of course, but the box bet is affordable if bettors can narrow down their selections to just a handful of the best runners.

Trifecta Box Bet Example

To understand how the trifecta box bet works, imagine an eight-horse race. The bettor decides horses 4, 5, and 6 look the best, but can’t quite tell which will win, place, or show.

In this case, the trifecta box bet offers an answer. The bettor can box horses 4,5, and 6 to ensure a win should those three horses finish in first, second, and third place in any order. This three-horse trifecta box would cover every scenario in which the three selections finish in the top three spots:

• 4-5-6
• 4-6-5
• 5-4-6
• 5-6-4
• 6-4-5
• 6-5-4

As long as the three selections take first, second, and third in any order, the bet wins, and the bettor receives the full payout for a winning trifecta.

How to Bet A Trifecta Box Online

Learning how to place a trifecta box bet online is a matter of understanding how the bet works.

The main thing to know is that trifecta box bets involve selecting multiple horses, and they win if any combination of those selections finish in first, second, and third place in any order. As a result, placing a three-horse trifecta box isn’t much different than placing a straight trifecta bet. Both involve selecting three horses, but the order doesn’t matter in the boxed variation. Additionally, bettors can select more than three horses to further improve the odds of winning (and the price of the bet).

Here’s how it works in step-by-step form:

• Log in to the horse racing betting site or app of your choice
• Select an upcoming race
• Open the wagering menu and select “trifecta”
• Now, select the size of the base wager and activate the box trifecta option

The layout of the wagering interface varies among online racebooks, but it should look something like this:

• Now, select at least three horses from the program
• If those three horses end up filling out the top three finishing spot in the race (in any order) your bet wins

In the screenshot below, you can see that I’ve selected horses 1, 2, and 3. You can also see that the $1 base bet will now cost $6. That’s a significant jump in cost, but the straight trifecta would have covered just one winning combination (1-2-3 in that order). By boxing the bet, I have secured a sizable win if my selections take first, second, and third place in any order, covering six possible combinations.

Trifecta Box Betting Costs

The one downside of the trifecta box is the cost. This is a relatively expensive wager compared to other horse racing bets, but that is the price one pays to make multiple selections on one of the track’s highest-paying bets.

Starting from a base wager of $1, a trifecta box with three horses costs $6 because it covers six possible outcomes. Adding just one more horse to the mix immediately bumps that up to $24 – and it only gets more expensive from there.

Trifecta Box Betting Price Formula

Bettors can calculate the total cost of a trifecta box bet with the following equation:

H! x Y = Z

H = Number of horses you want to cover

! = The factorial function simply means to multiply a descending series of numbers

Y = Size of the base bet

Z = Total bet cost

For example, here’s how one would plug in a $2 trifecta box involving three horses:

3! x $2 = Z

(3 horses) x (2 horses) x (1 horse) x $2

3 x 2 x 1 x $2 = $12

Here’s how that would look if one wants to place a $2 trifecta box bet involving four horses:

4! x $2 = Z

(4 horses) x (3 horses) x (2 horses) x (1 horse) x $2

4 x 3 x 2 x 1 x $2 = $48

Common Trifecta Box Prices For A $1 Wager

• Three-horse box: $6
• Four-horse box: $24
• Five-horse box: $60
• Six-horse box: $120
• Seven-horse box: $210
• Eight-horse box: $336
• Nine-horse box: $504
• Ten-horse box: $720

Keying Horses To Reduce Trifecta Box Betting Costs

The law of diminishing returns applies to all exotic horse racing bets, and the boxed trifecta is no exception. Bettors can only add so many horses to their trifecta box bets on a consistent basis before the wager loses value over the long term, even accounting for the high payouts that make trifectas so popular.

Bettors who find trifecta box wagers too expensive should consider keying their bets instead. A simple trifecta key involves picking one horse as the key, who must finish in first place, and additional horses to cover second and third place in any order.

For example, a bettor who feels strongly about Horse #6 but only likes Horses #2, #5, and #7 could save a lot of money by keying #6 instead of placing a full trifecta box. In this example, the bettor would ask for a $1 trifecta, key #6 over #2, #5, and #7.

This bet would cost $6 in total and win if #6 takes first place and the others take second and third place in any order. A full trifecta box would cover more combinations, but it would also cost $24. By eliminating every combination that doesn’t include #6 finishing first, the bettor has saved quite a bit of money compared to a standard trifecta box.

The above example is just one of many ways to use the keying concept in trifectas. To read more, see this page:

• Trifecta Keys

Trifecta Box Betting FAQ