Best Trifecta Bets for the Kentucky Derby 2024

by Mike Allen - 5/2/2024

Some horses have a better chance than others to win the Kentucky Derby on May 2

What is a Trifecta Bet?

A trifecta is a parimutuel bet placed on a horse race in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, in the exact order. We call it a trifecta In the United States and Australia. There are other names for this type of wager. In the UK, this is known as a tricast, in Hong Kong it's a tierce, in Canada a triacto, and in France, a tiercé.

Parimutuel is a form of betting and of handling the betting on horse races at racetracks, in which those holding winning tickets divide the total amount bet in proportion to their wagers, less a percentage for the management, taxes, etc. This can also be called a parimutuel machine.

As you might expect, the odds of winning a trifecta bet on any horse race, much less the Kentucky Derby in a field of the world's best, are quite long.

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We have all seen the movies, though. Whether we are chasing a high with our wagers or we look at our strategy more as investments, winning a trifecta bet in a bar or at a friend's party would be something we could never forget.

I can't imagine the excitement, and honestly, as a middle-aged man, I don't know how much I trust my heart not to keel me over just seconds after my trifecta bet wins. Hey, it would be one heck of a way to go out!

The fun here is most likely going to come in the preparation or perhaps the conversations with your friends and colleagues pre-race.

I'm not saying at all to put all of your juevos in this basket. Your trifecta bet can be your potential cherry on top. Enough cliches. How much does a trifecta bet cost, and what do they pay out?

Cost and Payout of a Trifecta Bet

A straight trifecta bet is when we need to pick the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers exactly and in that order. These bets usually cost as low as .50 cents to 1.00 dollar.

If you want to box your trifecta bet, it will be considerably more expensive, but with that price increase, your odds of winning, while still low, essentially skyrocket. A boxed trifecta bet means that, yes, we still need to pick the top three finishers. However, they can finish in any particular order, and we still win our wager.

Free Trifecta Picks

Fierceness: 5/2
Honor Marie: 20-1
Just a Touch: 16-1

Fierceness is the betting favorite here for good reason. He is the fastest horse in the race. The only reason we are getting such a decent price on him is because he can be inconsistent, or temperamental, as the horse racing experts say.

That doesn't bother me too much for this play. We could see Fierceness potentially taking this thing home as a wire-to-wire winner. He is that fast. Just look at his betting odds compared to the rest of the field.

What makes horse racing so difficult are all of the things that can go wrong in a short roughly 2-minute race. Speed is going to kill either way. It will kill your opponents' chance of winning or perhaps, gas you out.

That is why I like Fierceness as our trifecta 1st place finisher. This is Ricky Bobby time. If you ain't first, you're last. Shake and bake!

As for Honor Marie, this horse finished 2nd to Catching Freedom in the Louisville Derby just weeks ago. In just 5 races, Honor Marie has two 1st place finishes and two 2nd place finishes. I love the consistency here, especially for a horse with 20-1 odds.

Just a Touch is a lightly-raced colt. You could say he has just a touch of serious competitive races under his saddle. He does, however, already have a strong 2nd place showing in Kentucky at The Bluegrass Stakes.

Let’s bet on his freshness, Honor Marie’s experience and consistency, as well as the pure talent and speed of the favorite for our Kentucky Derby trifecta bet.

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