Win & Place
 

I usually bet to win. Sometimes one horse. Sometimes two. Rarely three.

From time to time I'll add a place and/or show bet on a longshot.

Today in Turfway Park's third race I had the unusual situation of betting two horses to win and place, neither of which was my top choice.

Lo and behold one of them ran second. I made money. I'm happy about that.

Ironically, the other horse ran third.

The horse I thought would win the race, did in fact win.

So, I wound up leaving the trifecta on the table.

Nothing like experiencing agony & ecstasy in the same race!

Race: 3 Win Place Show
1st 6 Hamilton Lewis (BRZ) 6.40 4.40 2.80
2nd 5 Seeking Larry 22.20 10.60
3rd 2 Just You and I Kid 5.60
4th 7 Johnny Sunshine
$2 D/Double 11/6 11.40
$2 Exacta 6-5 96.40
$2 Trifecta 6-5-2 847.00

Ex
 

Hi David

Races like yours were driving me crazy
I have been a lot less stressed out since I started to
use an eaxcta key or box as a place bet

But a $22.00 place price is beautiful to see

Bill

Oh yeah, I forgot about the $96 exacta.

Thanks for reminding me, Bill!

:p

(just kidding :>)

A few weeks ago, I had a 70/1 shot that I liked enough to make a very rare W/P bet on instead of playing two horses to win.

Even with two of the top three betting choices ahead of him, it paid $18.60 to show as it was beaten by a nostril for second.

oh yea! been there and done that. not only w/ tris and ex but pick 3's.
I just have to realize that if i don't bet $40-50 bucks a race covering 2-3 win bets 2, units on the place bet and units on the ex and tri w/a $30 pick three bet there are going to be those highs/lows on races.
i do bet 2-3 horses to win, then a place bet on my top selection, then maybe the same 2 selections as an ex. i figure one has tossed horses that don't win, stay away from the fav. that may only win 33% of the time and use the odds line percentage for the other overlays. tom brohammer told me in one of those TM on line meeting, para phrase, "if the fav is underlayed then there is a horsre w/ a chance that is overlaied" dick mitchell also explaied why a place and show bet on long shots acctuallly subsidized the fav.
my 2 cents er...units:)
Rverge

I was talking to Dr.Z a couple of days ago about this. Here's what he said.

You can make all the bets if you have probabilities sufficiently better than track probabilities (odds).

Bet on those combos with positive expectation based on your model weighed by a portfolio theory.