| The trifecta wheel is one of the most popular bets in | | | | and the favorite does indeed win 30% of the ten |
| horse racing handicapping. The lure of the bet is that | | | | races, in other words, you hit three out of ten tris. |
| you never know how much the trifecta will pay | | | | You spent $420 on your ten bets. Now ask yourself |
| because you don't know which other runners will | | | | this, what does the average trifecta pay when the |
| complete the other two legs of the exotic wager. It | | | | favorite wins? Not very much, right? The answer is |
| seems so simple, just pick one good horse and wheel | | | | simple, there are a lot of people who don't want to |
| it and you may hit the whole trifecta. | | | | work, or think too hard at the races. They want a nice |
| While other serious handicappers pore over their | | | | easy day and they want to cash trifecta tickets. So |
| programs trying to eliminate horses and develop | | | | many people wheel the favorites in the tris and the |
| complicated part key wheel bets, you simply pick one | | | | result is that they all lose in the long run. |
| good horse and wheel it. Of course, upon closer | | | | It is almost impossible to make a profit when wheeling |
| inspection, there are some drawbacks to the wheel | | | | favorites in the trifecta. So the answer to the question, |
| bet. | | | | when does wheeling a horse in the trifecta make good |
| For once thing, it is costly. In a seven horse race a $1 | | | | handicapping sense, is certainly not when it's the |
| wheel bet costs $30. In an 8 horse race the cost is | | | | favorite! |
| $42. That is a lot for scratch for a risky trifecta bet. | | | | On the other hand, since wheeling the favorite is such |
| Let's say you decide to have a nice relaxing day at | | | | a popular bet, and therefore an underlay, wheeling any |
| the track and don't want to work too hard at | | | | other horse with a reasonable chance of winning may |
| handicapping. You decide to simply go to the track and | | | | be a good bet. My advice is to use a good method of |
| wheel the favorite in the tri in each race. | | | | eliminating horses who aren't meant to win (such as a |
| The average field size is eight horses so you are | | | | toteboard method that spots live horses) and then |
| spending $42 per race. There are ten races on the | | | | wheel one of the other contenders that is live on the |
| card and the favorite wins 30% (about average for | | | | board. |
| winning favorites) of the races. It is an average day | | | | |