How to Bet Horse Racing Online with NYRA Bets | NYRA Bets

Pick Your Horses to Bet

Picking a horse is all about how you feel a horse or horses will run in a race. You can base your selection off of a lot of information. We want to help you simplify your selections.

Here are some simple things to do so you can pick your horses to bet:

1. Past Performances - these are compiled analytics on each horse in the race, and you can use them to see how horses have performed in their past races. Download Equibase Past Performances in the NYRA Bets store and get reimbursed when you wager $2 on that track. Look for the horses that have done well at the track, distance, and surface of the race they are running in that day.

2. Horse Connections - The owners, trainer and jockey of a horse are called the connections. People often make a selection based on jockeys or trainers stats. Click on the down arrow under the horse's number and select jockey or trainer to review their stats.

3. Expert Picks - Find out who the experts like. Every track offers analysis from their in-house handicappers. Check out our NYRA Bets Expert Picks page for insights and analysis from our handicappers.

4. Keep it Simple - NYRA Bets Handicapper Anthony Stabile has put together a 'Betting for Beginners' to help you place your first wagers and have fun.

Different Horse Racing Bet Types

Bets Within Each Race

Win – Your horse must finish first.
Place – Your horse must finish first or second.
Show – Your horse must finish first, second, or third.
Across the Board – Separate win, place, and show wagers of equal amounts on the same horse.
Exacta (box) – Pick the first two horses in the correct order. Box it and the horses you select can finish in any order.
Trifecta (box) – Pick the first three horses in the correct order. Box it and the horses you select can finish in any order.
Superfecta (box) – Pick the first four horses in the correct order. Box it and the horses you select can finish in any order.

“Boxing” your choices in exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets makes your wager more expensive but allows you to win if your selected horses finish in any order. In summary, adding additional horses to your wagers raises the price of your ticket, but gives you more chances to win. Part of the appeal of betting is figuring out the best way to put together a wager - the best handicappers don't always win the most money! NYRA Bets allows you to try out different wagers before submitting the bet - test out some new combinations today!

Bets with Multiple Races

Daily Double – Pick the winners of two consecutive races.
Grand Slam – Pick a horse to finish in the top three in three straight races, capped by the winner of the fourth race in the sequence. If there is no show wagering in one of the first three legs, the horse must finish second.
Pick 3 – Pick the winners of three consecutive races.
Pick 4 – Pick the winners of four consecutive races.
Pick 5 – Pick the winners of five consecutive races.
Pick 6 – Pick the winners of six consecutive races.

If you have trouble placing bets, please contact us through our Live Chat or call 1-844-NYRA-BET and we will be happy to assist.

You Won! Now What?

Whether you place your bet online or on-track, your account balance will reflect your winnings once the race result is official.

Now it's time to get ready for the next race! When you're ready, you can request a withdraw from your account back to your bank account or request a check to be mailed to you. Go to our deposits and withdraws page to learn more.