How to Place a Show Bet at a Horse Race

Horse racing is an exciting sport. The moment the horses burst out of the gate, the excitement intensifies as they fight for position and make the final turn to the finish line. You can lay a little action and make a bet on who you think will do well in the race. One of the more popular bets is betting a horse to "show." This is a bet that the horse will place first, second or third.

Instructions

    • 1

      Get the day's racing form. This is usually printed in the local paper, available at the racetrack and also found online on the tracks site. The form will give you the schedule of races along with the horses' numbers.

    • 2

      Purchase a guide so you can research the horses and their past performances. The guide details each horse's age, record and how it performs on certain tracks. Read about the various horses in the race you want to bet on.

    • 3

      Select the horse which you believe will finish first, second or third in the race (called win, place and show respectively). You may also make more than one bet in a race, but just remember that your profit margin may shrink if you make multiple "show" bets and a few of your horses finish out of the top three. Conversely, if all three of your horses finish in the top three, you can make a pretty penny.

    • 4

      Place your bet at the betting window or computer module. To expedite lines, most places have betting computers that let you punch in your bet. If you do choose to go to the window, tell the teller the number of the race and how much you would like to bet. Identify the number of the horse and designate it as a "show" bet. For instance, you would say, "In race 3, I'd like to bet $3 on the 7 horse to show."

    • 5

      Pay your money and receive your betting slip. Check that your betting slip is correct before you leave the window.

    • 6

      Grab your seat and watch the race. Binoculars can be helpful to see the horses on the back-stretch. Usually there are also monitors that keep a close eye on the action. As the racing intensifies and the horses cross the finish line, see if your horse finished first, second, or third.

    • 7

      Redeem the money for your ticket. If you won, return to the betting window and get your payment. Tickets are usually good for redemption for two months. If you weren't lucky, you can simply toss your ticket.