A horse racing bet where you pick the first and second place finishers in exact order.
An exacta requires picking the top two finishers in the correct order. With a 10-horse field, there are 90 possible exacta combinations, making it harder to hit than a win bet but offering significantly larger payouts. Exacta boxes let you pick multiple horses in any order for the top two spots, increasing your chances at higher cost. For example, a $1 exacta box on 3 horses costs $6 (3 x 2 combinations).
At Churchill Downs you box a $2 exacta on horses #4 and #7 in the third race — a $4 ticket covering both orderings. #4 wins, #7 places. The exacta pays $38.60 for $2, returning $77.20 on your $4 box for $73.20 profit.
Exacta takeout at most US tracks runs 20-22%, higher than win pool takeout (16%). The bet requires picking both the winner and runner-up in exact order (a straight exacta), or either order (a box). A 3-horse box costs $12 ($2 × 6 permutations) and covers all 6 possible 1-2 finishes among those three. Sharp horseplayers construct exacta keys: keying their top pick on top with three underneath contenders costs $6 and focuses capital on the most likely win scenarios.
Exacta Box Cost = Number of Picks × (Number of Picks - 1) × Base Wager<p>At Churchill Downs you box a <strong>$2 exacta</strong> on horses <strong>#4 and #7</strong> in the third race — a $4 ticket covering both orderings. #4 wins, #7 places. The exacta pays <strong>$38.60 for $2</strong>, returning <strong>$77.20</strong> on your $4 box for $73.20 profit.</p><p>Exacta takeout at most US tracks runs <strong>20-22%</strong>, higher than win pool takeout (16%). The bet requires picking both the winner and runner-up in exact order (a straight exacta), or either order (a box). A 3-horse box costs $12 ($2 × 6 permutations) and covers all 6 possible 1-2 finishes among those three. Sharp horseplayers construct exacta keys: keying their top pick on top with three underneath contenders costs $6 and focuses capital on the most likely win scenarios.</p>
A horse racing bet where you pick the first and second place finishers in exact order.
Exacta Box Cost = Number of Picks × (Number of Picks - 1) × Base Wager
<p>At Churchill Downs you box a <strong>$2 exacta</strong> on horses <strong>#4 and #7</strong> in the third race — a $4 ticket covering both orderings. #4 wins, #7 places. The exacta pays <strong>$38.60 for $2</strong>, returning <strong>$77.20</strong> on your $4 box for $73.20 profit.</p><p>Exacta takeout at most US tracks runs <strong>20-22%</strong>, higher than win pool takeout (16%). The bet requires picking both the winner and runner-up in exact order (a straight exacta), or either order (a box). A 3-horse box costs $12 ($2 × 6 permutations) and covers all 6 possible 1-2 finishes among those three. Sharp horseplayers construct exacta keys: keying their top pick on top with three underneath contenders costs $6 and focuses capital on the most likely win scenarios.</p>
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