Pick 5 Horse Racing Bet

Understanding Horse Racing Pick 5 Betting

Do you think it's fun to win with selecting a winner in a single horse race? Try selecting five in a row with a Pick 5 Horse Racing bet!

• Three tips for betting a Pick 5
  
  1. Find a single among your five race sequence
  2. Don't go with the flow, play against popular crowd opinions sometimes
  3. Watch the weather, changes to surfaces matter...especially off the turf
  4. Read more on these Pick 5 tips

What is a Pick 5 bet in horse racing?

In a Pick 5 bet you win if you correctly select the winners of five consecutive horse races, but note that not every track has a Pick 5 wager.

• How to bet a Pick 5 step-by-step...
  • Jackpot or Traditional Wager?
  • Plan your strategy
  • What does the ticket cost?
  • Peek at pool sizes

LEARN MORE: Step-by-Step how to bet a Pick 5

What is the minimum stake with a Pick 5 bet?

The bet minimum is usually $.50 for a Pick 5, but could vary on big racing days, such as the Kentucky Derby. Online Pick Five bets have the same minimum stake as betting Pick 5s at the track.

The best place to find what a minimum bet for Pick 5 is, would be the 'Wagering Menu' released by a racetrack. This wager menu states the minimum value of investment for a wager. Also note that the takeout may be less or more favorable than other bet types.

How much can I win on a Pick Five bet?

Winnings on Pick Five bets are unlimited and are determined by the pari-mutuel system where all the winning tickets share the pool of money collected (less the money the track takes as commission).  

Lets use some recent race results to better understand how much you could win with a correct Pick Five wager.

• Should you have placed a correct $.50 Pick Five wager at the 2014 Kentucky Derby?
  • ...The Pick Five payoff would have been $694.95. This means that a correct bet netted a substantial payout of nearly 1390-1!

Can I select more than one horse in each leg of a Pick 5?

Yes! If you aren't sure who to single in a particular race, you can narrow down the choices (and the cost of your ticket) by selecting several horses. Or you can go expensive and take ALL the horses in a single race. Just be careful to watch the cost of your ticket.

(Photo by Coglianese Photos/Canterbury Park)

Learn more with our other betting resources below: