What Is A Wheel Bet In Horse Racing?

Marcus Bazzano
By Marcus Bazzano
What Is A Wheel Bet In Horse Racing?

What Is A Wheel Bet?

A Wheel Bet in horse racing is a bet type used in exacta betting, where you select one horse to finish first and combine it with multiple horses to finish second, increasing your chances of winning. 


Example: “I'm placing a wheel bet on horse #3 to win and horses #1, #2, and #4 to place.”

What Is An Exacta Wheel?

An Exacta Wheel is a type of bet in horse racing where you select one horse to finish first and combine it with all possible horses to finish second, or vice versa, increasing your chances of winning. 

Example: “I'm placing an exacta wheel on horse #3 to win and the entire field to place.”

Exacta Key Box vs Wheel

An Exacta Key Box bet is more flexible, while a Wheel bet provides broader coverage. You can see the definitions and differences of an exacta key box vs wheel bet below:

  • Exacta Key Box: Select one horse (key) to finish first or second, and combine it with multiple horses to cover all possible exacta combinations.
  • Exacta Wheel: Select one horse to finish first or second, and combine it with all possible horses to cover the entire field.

Example: “I'll key box horse #3 with horses #1, #2, and #4” vs “I'll wheel bet horse #3 with the entire field”.

Jockey Jaime Torres rides Seize the Grey #6 to win the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Photo by Getty Images.

What Is A Trifecta Wheel?

A Trifecta Wheel is a type of bet in horse racing where you select one horse to finish first, second, or third, and combine it with all possible horses to fill the remaining two positions. 

This increases your chances of winning but requires a higher bet amount.

What Is A Trifecta Key Wheel Bet?

A Trifecta Key Wheel Bet is a type of bet in horse racing where you select one horse (the key) to finish in a specific position (win, place, or show), and combine it with multiple horses to fill the remaining two positions. 

This allows you to cover multiple combinations while designating a key horse to finish in a specific position.

What Is A Superfecta Wheel Bet?

A Superfecta Wheel Bet is a type of bet in horse racing where you select one horse to finish in a specific position (win, place, show, or fourth) and combine it with multiple horses to cover the remaining three positions. 

How To Bet A Wheel In Horse Racing

To bet a wheel in horse racing, follow these steps:

  1. Open your chosen bookmaker app
  2. Log in
  3. Select horse racing
  4. Choose a racetrack
  5. Choose a race
  6. Select a key horse to finish in a specific position (win, place, show, or fourth)
  7. Choose one or more horses to cover the remaining positions
  8. Decide how much to bet on each horse or combination of horses
  9. Specify the wheel bet and the horses you've chosen when you place the wager
Marcus Bazzano
By Marcus Bazzano

Marcus is a young but experienced sports journalist and content creator, having been in the industry 5+ years. He has written racing specific content for leading racing sites such as RacingBase, Odds and now Fan Odds. Marcus learnt his love for racing from his father, who has owned multiple horses in Marcus' lifetime.