File photo by Richard McGuire
A horse trains a Desert Park in this file photo. The first of two race days is Saturday.
Because there hasn’t been horse racing at the Desert Park racetrack facility in more than a decade, many of those attending Saturday’s return to the races might not know how to place a wager.
But there’s no reason to panic and some simple rules to follow to ensure everyone in attendance can place a wager on time and without stress, says Bev Beattie, who has been a mutual seller at Hastings Park Racetrack in Vancouver for more than 30 years.
Beattie has been hired by the Desert Park Exhibition Society to provide the training for the mutual sellers who will be working on Saturday as thoroughbred racing returns to Osoyoos for the first time since the late 1990s.
“The big thing is to make sure you know what horses you want to bet on and we should be able to help them with the rest,” said Beattie. “The three basic rules when placing a bet are to have your money ready when you come up to make your bet. If you know you’re only going to be spending two dollars or five dollars, have it ready. If you make a mistake, the staff can help you correct it because we want all patrons to have the bet they want on each race.
“A second rule is to know what horses you want to bet on. Please don’t be doing your handicapping once you get to the window. That’s not fair to the other people in line. Thirdly, remember that all bets are placed by the numbers on the horses you like. They don’t go by names or colours, but their number in the program.”
While different racetracks may have different rules or use different terms for how to bet and also how to place bets, there are different types of bets that are virtually universal, said Beattie.
The least amount of money you can bet on any given race is two dollars, she said. There is no maximum amount at any Canadian racetrack that she has ever heard of.
Here is a list of some practical examples of bets and variations you will be able to wager on this weekend in Osoyoos:
• Daily Double – You win if you pick the winner of the first and second race. To place a bet, you tell the mutual seller “$2 daily double on your pick to win the first race and your pick to win the second race.” All bets on the Daily Double must be placed before commencement of the first race.
• Quinela – You win if you pick two horses that finish first and second, in either order, in any single race. To bet, you say “dollar amount quinela on the two horses you pick to finish in the top two in any given race.” If the results of the first two horses are the same as your selections, you win.
• Quinela Box – You pick three or more horses. You win if any two of your selections finish first or second. You can box as few as three or as many horses as there are in the field. The minimum bet is $6 to box three horses.
• Quinela Wheel – You can “wheel” a favourite horse, so that it is combined with all the other horses. Based on a $2 value, the total cost of a wheel with say six other horses is $12. For example, if you wheel the No. 2 horse with six other horses in the same race and #2 comes in first or second, you win because you have all the six combinations covered.
• Exacta – Similar to the quinela except the two horses must finish in the exact order of finish.
• Exacta Box – You can box three or more horses for a minimum of $12. For each extra horse you add to the box, the possible combinations get compounded and your number of bets increases. A $2 box on four horses will cost you $24, while a $2 box on five horses will cost $40.
• Straight Trifecta – You pick three horses to finish first, second or third in exact order.
• $1 Trifecta Box – Pick three horses to finish first, second or third in any order. If you pick the three correct horses, you win. The minium wager is $6.If any other horse in the field finishes in the top three, you don’t win.
• $1 Trifecta Key – Pick your favourite horse to win, then two or more others to place and show in any order. To win, your key horse must win and the other two must finish in the top three.
• Superfecta – The straight superfecta is played by picking the first four horses to finish in the exact order.
• You can box, key or wheel most of the above bets. You can also bet any dollar amount you wish and the payouts are exponentially larger the more money you bet.
The amount of money paid out is determined by a combination of the odds on a horse and the total race pool of money bet, said Beattie.
No one under age 19 will be allowed to make bets.
“You have to be 19 to gamble in B.C. and horse racing is considered gambling in this province,” said Beattie. “Kids can go with their parents to place a bet, but they can’t touch any money or place actual bets.”
For anyone who has never been to see live horse racing, they are in for a treat, said Beattie.
“Most people who have never been to the races just love it,” she said. “It’s a very friendly atmosphere and most people are there just to have a good time. While there will be a few people who are big gamblers and spending some serious dollars, most have a budget and they might bet $2 to $5 on a race.
“It’s all about having fun and enjoying the atmosphere and placing a friendly wager and hoping your horse comes in.”
BY KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
