We already know that a day at the races at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino is going to be a blast. I decided to go again and this time I wanted to learn about the basics of betting. No one to better help than Racing Rachel McLaughlin.
I’m a novice and I’m not going to bet big! If that sounds like you, then keep reading! Some of the ins and outs I learned from Racing Rachel:
· Win, Place and Show. Win is 1st, Place is 2nd and Show is 3rd. So far, pretty easy!
· About Odds…if a horse is at 2-1 odds, that horse will pay $2 for every dollar bet. A 5-1 horse will pay $5 for every dollar bet. The minimum bet is $2 at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino.
· Exotic Bets…now we’re getting fancy! An Exacta is picking 1st and 2nd…a Trifecta is picking 1st, 2nd and 3rd…and a Superfecta…well, I’m sure you can guess it’s the 1st four finishers!
· Box Bets…pick the right horses and the order doesn’t matter!
Before you bet, take a walk down the paddock and check out the horses! According to Rachel, you might get a feel for how a horse is going to race by watching them before the race. Watch them prepare for their upcoming race and as Rachel told us, observe their behavior. It’s also important to grab a racing program to get details on all the horses racing that day.
Now you’re ready to rock! Head up to the windows and place a bet with the mutual tellers or feel free to place your bets on one of the self-service machines. You need 4 things to place your bet: the race number, the amount of the bet, the type of bet and the number of the horse you’re betting on. I placed several horse wagers with the mutual tellers and I even did one on the self-service machine. If I can get it done, so can you! Maybe you’ll get lucky and catch Racing Rachel and Track Announcer/Odds Specialist Bill Downs in between their segments for a quick question.
Now you’re read to watch these horses RACE! Inside or outside, you’ve got great views of the track at Indiana Ground, and views of tracks from all over the country on the TV monitors inside. After you’ve cheered your horse to a win, take your ticket up to the window or even slide it into the self-service machine. And be sure not to throw away your ticket too fast! Infractions can happen in horse racing so maybe your horse will come in first after all. You’re going to have one heck of a time at the horse racing track and maybe even get a little lucky!
Here are more Wagering Basics 101 from Indiana Grand! How To Bet On Horse Racing - Wagering 101 | Indiana Grand (caesars.com)
Watch WRTV for more episodes of Run for the Money with Producer Kyle in the coming weeks!
