Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

Superfecta is largely considered the most lucrative of all horse racing betting opportunities, and at the same time, the hardest wager to collect on. You’ll have to correctly predict the first four horses to finish the race, in exact order, to release this massive purse. It is generally the type of wager only veteran handicappers place with any degree of confidence.

In some countries, the name Superfecta refers to a wager on more than four horses, as high as five or six. Since the name doesn’t exactly relate to a number, as in the case of a “Trifecta” (first 3 horses), some horse racing tracks have begun using terms like “First Four” or “Quartet” in place of, or in combination with, Superfecta.

What is Superfecta Horse Racing Betting?

A Superfecta is a complex horse racing bet where the bettor is required to pick not just the win, Place and Show horses, but the fourth place finisher as well. Picking the first four animals to finish a horse race, in exact order, is no easy task.

In order to collect on the bet, every horse chosen must finish in the chosen order. If you select them to finish in order as 5-4-6-2, and instead they finish 5-4-2-6, your wager is lost. But should they come in 5-4-6-2 as predicted, the payout can be astronomical!

Best Horse Betting Site
Bovada.lv is the best online horse racing betting site.
They are offering new sign ups $100+ FREE on your first deposit!


Click Here To Bet ($100 Free Bonus!)

Types of Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

There are three ways to place a Superfecta bet in horse racing betting:

Straight Superfecta
Superfecta Box
Superfecta Wheel

The minimum bet size in horse racing is generally $2, though most Superfecta bets are reduced to a $1 minimum. For this reason, we’ll be using a $1 wager in the following examples.

Straight Superfecta Horse Racing Betting

The Straight Superfecta is the most simplistic of all Superfecta bets. The bettor chooses four horses, selecting the exact order they will finish – first, second, third and fourth. The bet slip would read something like this: $1 Superfecta 5-4-6-2.

It would be a $1 bet that the #5 horse would Win, the #4 horse Place (second), the #6 horse Show (third) and the #2 horse finish fourth.

Superfecta Box Horse Racing Betting

The Superfecta Box is a similar bet, but includes all possible combinations of the chosen horses to finish in any given order. A $1 Superfecta Box would cost the bettor $24, as there are 24 possible ways to combine the finishing order of four horses.

For example, $1 Superfecta Box (5-4-6-2) is a $24 bet ($1 each) on the following 24 possible outcomes:

5-4-6-2; 5-4-2-6; 5-2-4-6; 5-2-6-4; 5-6-4-2; 5-6-2-4
4-2-5-6; 4-2-6-5; 4-5-2-6; 4-5-6-2; 4-6-5-2; 4-6-2-5
2-4-5-6; 2-4-6-5; 2-5-4-6; 2-5-6-4; 2-6-4-5; 2-6-5-4
6-2-4-5; 6-2-5-4; 6-4-2-5; 6-4-5-2; 6-5-2-4; 6-5-4-2

Bettors can also choose to add more than 4 horses to a Superfecta Box, but the price rises with each possible combination.

5 horses = $60
6 horses = $120
7 horses = $210
8 horses = $336

Superfecta Wheel Horse Racing Betting

The Superfecta Wheel is used when you are certain which horse will win, but aren’t so convinced on the exact order of the next three horses. Instead of paying full price for the Superfecta Box, you would choose the winning horse, followed by three more horses to finish in the next three positions. (See our Horse Racing Wheel Betting Article)

Let’s say you want the #5 horse to win, with 4-6-2 finishing in second, third and fourth. The bet slip would read“$1 Superfecta Wheel 5 with 4-6-2 with 4-6-2 with 4-6-2 = $6”. There are six possible combinations, therefore 6-$1 bets made.

Superfecta Horse Racing Betting Payouts

There is no set payout in pari-mutuel horse racing betting. The payoff for a Superfecta will always be determined by the overall purse, and how much of that money was placed on the winning Superfecta, as opposed to any other bets placed. The tote board at the horse racing track won’t display the probably payout either since there are simply too many combinations in Superfecta horse racing betting to display them all.