Small bets, massive payouts: How to win big in horse racing

Today’s horse racing bettors have a far greater chance of making a life-changing score at the track than their forefathers. Fifty years ago, there was no such thing as a superfecta. Even 20 years ago, Pick 5's and jackpot Pick 6's did not exist.

But make no mistake, very few of us will become millionaires at the races. However, there’s nothing wrong with a five-figure or even a six-figure score. Here is some basic advice that bettors looking to make it big should consider.

Avoid races with small fields

Even if the longest shot on the board wins in a six-horse field, payouts are still likely to fall way short of five figures on any intra-race wagers. There’s simply fewer combinations to play, and therefore less of a chance of bettors ignoring certain outcomes.

Even when multi-race wagers are considered, the fewer horses there are in the sequence, the lower payoffs are likely to be. Bettors looking to make a big score should focus on races that have at least 10 horses in the field, the majority of which are usually conducted on the turf.

Build your bankroll for the big racing days

By passing up races and sequences with small fields, you’ll be able to save up more money to go after big paydays.

Traditionally speaking, days when the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes are conducted and Breeders’ Cup

Saturday offer some of the biggest fields and most challenging races for bettors to handicap on an annual basis. However, bettors do not have to wait until then to get their shot at big payouts.

Beginners should consult the stakes schedule of the nation’s most popular tracks. Days when there are multiple stakes stacked together at one track tend to draw big fields, offering a better shot at big money.

During the winter and spring months, bettors should watch for tracks offering big Kentucky Derby preps, like the Fair Ground’s Louisiana Derby or Oaklawn’s Arkansas Derby. In the summer, Del Mar and Saratoga often draw big, tough races for bettors to enjoy. Breeders’ Cup preps and the Breeders’ Cup itself are a frequent fall feature.

Don’t overlook the longshots

There’s still money to be made when the favorites come in, but the truly huge payoffs come when the longshots cash in.

In the 2017 Kentucky Derby, when favored Always Dreaming won, the superfecta paid over $75,000 for $1! But that’s far from the highest superfecta payoff in Derby history – that would be 2005, when 50-1 longshot Giacomo won and triggered an $864,235.50 payout!

Longshots are vital to making big scores in multi-race wagers, especially in the jackpot Pick 6, where a unique winning combination takes the entire pool. You have to spend money to make money, so don’t be afraid to add some longshots to your wagers if you want to win big.