Trifecta box calculator
A trifecta picks the first three finishers in exact order. A $1 trifecta box with 4 horses has 24 combinations and costs $24: 4 × 3 × 2. A $1 exacta box with 3 horses costs $6. Pick a bet, box, key or wheel below to see the cost and what a hit returns.
Checked 2026-11-07. Source: formula and table below.
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How the cost is worked out
A box covers every finishing order of the horses you choose. The number of combinations is the number of ways to fill the places in order:
exacta = n × (n − 1) · trifecta = n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) · superfecta = n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) × (n − 3) · quinella = n × (n − 1) ÷ 2
ticket cost = combinations × bet per combination
Worked example: a $1 trifecta part wheel with horses 1 and 2 first, 1, 2 and 3 second, and 1 to 4 third has 8 combinations (each order uses a horse only once), so it costs $8. The same horses as a 4-horse box would cost $24.
Return: tote payouts are quoted for a base bet, usually $2 or $1. If a $2 exacta pays $152.40 and you bet $1 a combination, you get $76.20. In Australia the same idea is called a flexi bet: your stake divided by the combinations gives the share of the dividend you win.
Box cost by number of horses ($1 a combination)
| Horses | Exacta | Quinella | Trifecta | Superfecta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $2 | $1 | – | – |
| 3 | $6 | $3 | $6 | – |
| 4 | $12 | $6 | $24 | $24 |
| 5 | $20 | $10 | $60 | $120 |
| 6 | $30 | $15 | $120 | $360 |
| 7 | $42 | $21 | $210 | $840 |
| 8 | $56 | $28 | $336 | $1,680 |
| 10 | $90 | $45 | $720 | $5,040 |
Minimum bet sizes depend on the track and the betting site (often $1 for an exacta box and 10 to 50 cents for trifectas and superfectas). Multiply the figures by your bet size.
UK bettors place the same bets as a combination forecast or tricast.
Questions
What is a trifecta?
A bet that picks the first three finishers of a race in exact order. A box covers every order of the horses you choose; a key fixes one horse to win. The payout comes from the tote pool, so it is only known after the race.
What is an exacta and a superfecta?
An exacta picks the first two finishers in order and a superfecta the first four. A quinella picks the first two in either order.
How much is a $1 trifecta box?
A trifecta box costs $1 × n × (n − 1) × (n − 2). With 3 horses that is $6, with 4 horses $24 and with 5 horses $60.
How much is a $1 exacta box?
$1 × n × (n − 1): $2 for 2 horses, $6 for 3 and $12 for 4.
How much does a superfecta box cost?
n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) × (n − 3) combinations. A $1 box of 5 horses is $120; at 10 cents a combination it is $12.
What does a trifecta box pay?
Only one combination can win, and it pays the tote payout for that order scaled to your bet size. The box cost is spread over all the combinations, so a box of many horses can win less than it cost.
What is a key bet?
One horse must win and the others fill the remaining places in any order. A $1 trifecta key with 4 other horses has 12 combinations and costs $12, half the price of a 5-horse box.