Calculate trifecta bet costs and combinations for box, key, and wheel bets
Configure your trifecta wager
Add horses to your trifecta
24 combinations
Bet Type
Box
Horses
4
Combinations
24
Per Combo
$1
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TL;DR summary
A trifecta requires picking the first three finishers in exact order. A $1 trifecta box with 4 horses costs $24 (4×3×2=24 combinations). With 5 horses: 5×4×3=60 combinations = $60. With 6 horses: 6×5×4=120 combinations = $120. Box costs grow quickly - consider key bets to reduce cost while covering strong contenders.
Important information
Common trifecta questions
A trifecta requires you to pick the first three finishers in exact order. The first horse wins, second places, third shows. It offers higher payouts than exactas but is harder to hit.
A box covers all possible order combinations. For n horses: combinations = n × (n-1) × (n-2). 4 horses = 24 combos, 5 horses = 60 combos, 6 horses = 120 combos. Cost = combinations × base stake.
A key bet designates horses for specific positions. "Key #5 with 1,3,7,9" means #5 must win with any combination of the others in 2nd and 3rd. This reduces cost compared to a full box.
Trifecta combinations grow by factorial. 4 horses = 24 combos, 5 horses = 60 combos, 6 horses = 120 combos. At $1 base, a 6-horse box costs $120. Consider $0.50 or $0.10 bases for larger boxes.
Wheeling lets you select different horses for each position. A partial wheel like "1,2 with 3,4,5 with ALL" covers strong horses in top spots with the full field in third. This can reduce cost while maintaining value.