The process of placing a Win, Place, Show (WPS) bet in horse racing involves selecting a single horse to either win, place, or show. When you “box” a WPS bet, you’re essentially covering all possible combinations for your chosen horses to finish in the top three positions. Here’s how to box a Win, Place, Show bet:
1. **Choose Your Horses**: First, decide which horses you want to bet on. You can choose one horse, or for a box bet, you will typically choose two or more horses.
2. **Understand the Box Bet**: When you box your bet, you’re allowing any of the horses you’ve chosen to finish in any of the Win, Place, or Show positions. For example, if you’re boxing three horses, any of those three horses could finish first, second, or third in any combination.
3. **Calculate the Cost**: The cost of a box bet is determined by the number of horses you’re playing and the number of possible finishing positions. For a WPS box bet, you multiply the number of horses by the number of positions (3 in this case). So, if you’re boxing two horses, the calculation would be 2 horses x 3 positions = 6 bets. Each bet is the minimum bet amount (usually $2), so for two horses, the total cost would be $12.
4. **Visit the Betting Window or Kiosk**: Go to the betting window or a self-service betting kiosk at the racetrack.
5. **Place Your Bet**: When you tell the teller or input into the kiosk that you want to place a box bet, you will specify the horses you want to box, the race number, and the type of bet. For example, you might say, “Number 3, Number 5, and Number 7, Win, Place, Show box for race 4.”
6. **Receive Your Ticket**: After you’ve placed your bet, you’ll receive a ticket that lists the horses, the race number, the type of bet, and the total cost of the bet. Keep this ticket safe, as you’ll need it to collect any winnings.
7. **Wait for the Race**: Now, all you can do is watch the race and hope that one of your horses finishes in the top three positions.
Remember that a box bet increases your chances of winning but also increases the cost of the bet because you’re essentially making multiple bets. The potential payout for each position (Win, Place, Show) will be less than a straight bet on a single horse because the odds are divided among the number of horses in the box.