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Horse Racing

How to build the best Kentucky Derby trifectas and superfectas

To try to hit the big payouts offered by exotics, we need to focus on horses that can withstand the pace and carry their speed the full 1¼ miles at the Derby.

Analysis by
Staff writer|
The payouts for the Kentucky Derby winner have been paltry in recent years, but the trifecta and superfecta have been substantial. (Charlie Riedel/AP)
3 min

The payouts for the Kentucky Derby winner have been paltry over the past decade, with the median $2 win bet returning $12.80. The exotic wagers, on the other hand, have often yielded substantial payouts.

Half of the exactas — a wager requiring you to select the top two runners in order — have returned an average of $336.20 for a $2 wager. The median payout for a trifecta (when players pick the top three finishers in the correct order) has been $848.45 on a 50-cent ticket since 2013. The median superfecta (when players select the top four finishers in the correct order) has paid $15,643.65 on a $1 ticket over the past 10 years. Rich Strike, an 80-1 long shot, headlined a $321,500.10 payout in 2022.