Fairdeal Handicapping

Fairdeal Glossary of Horse Racing Terms

FairDeal Across The Board - (See 'Place') a bet on a horse to win, place or show. Three wagers combined in one. If the horse wins, the player wins all three wagers, if second, two, and if third, one.

FairDeal Box - A wagering term denoting a combination bet whereby all possible numeric combinations are covered.

FairDeal Chalk - Wagering favorite in a race. Dates from the days when on-track bookmakers would write current odds on a chalkboard.

FairDeal Chalk Player - Bettor who wagers on favorites.

FairDeal Daily Double - Type of wager calling for the selection of winners of two consecutive races, usually the first and second. See 'Late Double'

FairDeal Daily Triple or Pick Three - A wager where the bettor must select the winner of three consecutive races.

FairDeal Daily Racing Form - A daily newspaper containing racing information including news, past performance data and handicapping.

FairDeal Dead Heat - A tie. Two or more horses finishing equal in a race.

FairDeal Even Money Bet (or Evens) - A 1:1 bet. A $10 wager wins $10.

FairDeal Exacta - (Also, Perfecta) A wager that picks the first two finishers in a race in the exact order of finish.

FairDeal Exacta Box - A wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are covered.

FairDeal Exotic (wager) - Any wager other than win, place or show.

FairDeal Favorite - The most popular horse in a race, which is quoted at the lowest odds because it is deemed to have the best chance of winning the race.

FairDeal Field - 1) All the runners in a race. 2) Some sportsbooks or bookmakers may well group all the outsiders in a competition under the banner headline of 'Field' and put it head to head with the favorite. This is known as favorite vs the field betting and is common in horse and golf betting.

FairDeal Fixed Odds - Your dividend is fixed at the odds when you placed your bet.

FairDeal Futures - (Also, Ante Post) Bets placed in advance predicting the outcome of a future event.

FairDeal Handicapper - The official who decides the weights to be carried in handicap events, and the grading of horses and greyhounds

FairDeal In The Money - Finishing first, second or third.

FairDeal Jumper - Steeplechase or hurdle horse.

FairDeal Key Horse - The main expected winning horse used in multiple combinations in an exotic wager

FairDeal Late Double - A second daily double offered during the latter part of the program. See 'Daily Double' above.

FairDeal Lock - (As in 'Banker') US term for an almost certain winner. Easy winner.

FairDeal Mare - Female horse five-years-old or older.

FairDeal Morning Line - Approximate odds quoted before wagering begins.

FairDeal Mutual Pool - Short for 'Pari-mutuel Pool'. Sum of the wagers on a race or event, such as the win pool, daily double pool, exacta pool, etc.

FairDeal Neck - Unit of measurement about the length of a horse's neck.

FairDeal Objection - Claim of foul lodged by rider, patrol judge or other official after the running of a race. If lodged by official, it is called an inquiry.

FairDeal Odds - The figure or fraction by which a bookmaker or totalisator offers to multiply a bettor's stake, which the bettor is entitled to receive (plus his or her own stake) if their selection wins.

FairDeal Oddsmaker - A person who sets the betting odds. (Sportsbooks or Bookies don't set the odds. Most major sportsbooks use odds set by Las Vegas oddsmakers.)

FairDeal Official - Sign displayed when result is confirmed. Also racing official.

FairDeal Off-Track Betting (OTB) - Wagering at legalized betting outlets.

FairDeal Pari-mutuel(s) - A form of wagering originated in 1865 by Frenchman Pierre Oller in which all money bet is divided up among those who have winning tickets, after taxes, takeout and other deductions are made. Oller called his system 'Parier Mutuel' meaning 'Mutual Stake' or 'betting among ourselves'. As this wagering method was adopted in England it became known as 'Paris Mutuals', and soon after 'Parimutuels'.

FairDeal Parlay - (Also, Accumulator) A multiple bet. A kind of 'let-it-ride' bet. Making simultaneous selections on two or more races with the intent of pressing the winnings of the first win on the bet of the following race selected, and so on. All the selections made must win for you to win the parlay.

FairDeal Part Wheel - Using a key horse or horses in different, but not all possible, exotic wagering combinations.

FairDeal Photo Finish - A photo is automatically taken as the horses pass the winning line and when the race is too close to be judged the photo is used to determine the order of finish.

FairDeal Pick Six (or more) - A type of wager in which the winners of all the included races must be selected.

FairDeal Place - Finish in the top two, top three, top four and sometimes also top five in a competition or event. A Place bet will win if the selection you bet on is among those placed. Usually, a horse runs a place if it finishes in the first three in fields of eight or more horses. If there are only six or seven runners the horse must finish first or second to place. Different sportsbooks have different Place terms and you should check their rules before placing a bet. (See 'Each Way' UK.)

FairDeal Post Time - Designated time for a race to start.

FairDeal Price - The odds

FairDeal Punter - Bettor or investor.

FairDeal Quiniela (Quinella) - Wager in which the first two finishers must be picked in either order. Payoff is made no matter which of the two wins and which runs second. ('Reverse Forecast' in the UK. See Wagers for Quiniela variants.)

FairDeal Racecard - A program for the day's racing.

FairDeal Scratch - To be taken out of a race before it starts. Trainers usually scratch horses due to adverse track conditions or a horse's adverse health. A veterinarian can scratch a horse at any time.

FairDeal Show - Third position at the finish.

FairDeal Show Bet - Wager on a horse to finish in the money; third or better.

FairDeal Sportsbook - The person, shop or website who accepts bets.

FairDeal Sprint - Short race, less than one mile.

FairDeal Superfecta - A bet placed on four horses to cross the finish line in exact chosen order.

FairDeal Thoroughbred - A Thoroughbred is a horse whose parentage traces back to any of the three 'Founding Sires' the Darley Arabian, Byerly Turk and Godolphin Barb, and who has satisfied the rules and requirements of The Jockey Club and is registered in 'The American Stud Book' or in a foreign stud book recognized by The Jockey Club and the International Stud Book Committee. Any other horse, no matter what its parentage, is not considered a Thoroughbred for racing and/or breeding purposes.

FairDeal Ticket - The betting slip or ticket which is received by the bettor from the bookmaker or totalisator, as proof of his or her wager. The ticket is necessary to collect the dividends.

FairDeal Tote Board - The (usually) electronic totalizator display in the infield which reflects up-to-the-minute odds. It may also show the amounts wagered in each mutuel pool as well as information such as jockey and equipment changes, etc. Also known as the 'Board'.

FairDeal Trifecta - A wager picking the first three finishers in exact order. Called a 'Triactor' in Canada and a 'Triple' in some parts of the U.S. ('Tricast' in the UK.)

FairDeal Trifecta Box - A trifecta wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are bet upon. The total number of combinations can be calculated according to the formula (x3)-(3x2)+(2x), where x equals the amount of horses in the box. The sum of the formula is then multiplied by the amount wagered on each combination.

FairDeal Triple - (Also 'Treble') See 'Trifecta' above.

FairDeal Trotting - A term for harness racing in general. It also describes the specific gait of a trotter.

FairDeal Underlay - A horse racing at shorter odds than seems warranted by its past performances.

FairDeal Wager - Another term for bet.

FairDeal Wheel - Betting all possible combinations in an exotic wager using at least one horse as the key. See 'Part Wheel'

FairDeal Win Bet - Wager on a horse to finish first.

FairDeal Yielding - Condition of a turf course with a great deal of moisture. Horses sink into it noticeably.