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Horse Betting 🎖️ Top in 2024

Horse racing stands among the dominating sports globally, with more than CAD10 billion contributed in bets annually. This unpredictable and fast-paced sport is an all-time favourite feature for Canadian sportsbooks, allowing bettors to track and stake on their favourite races, horses, and jockeys.

While the widespread availability of the sport is a significant upside, it also presents a challenge to gamblers when choosing the perfect one to use.

This is where we come in. We work with a team of professionals that go through the trouble of assessing the thousands of horseracing sportsbooks available online to narrow down the best options from which you can choose.

We also table an array of information on what to consider when embarking on the sport, such as the different races and how you can go about betting on them.

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Horse Racing Betting Sites

BETTING SITE OFFER
BetwaySports Get CAD 300
Bet365 100% Sign Up Bonus – Up to CAD 200
SPIN Sports Get CAD 250
888Sports Get CAD 250

How We Rate the Best Horse Race Betting Sites in Canada

The internet is home to thousands of betting websites that offer horse racing among the many sports options. While all of them promise to provide their clients with the best experience, most of them do not live up to these claims.

Sifting through the many sites trying to get the cherry-pick the perfect ones can be a tasking endeavour, especially if you do not know what you are looking for. Our experts understand what makes a website ideal, and the bookmakers listed on our page check all the boxes. The criteria applied when selecting them includes:

Bonuses and promotions

Bonuses and promotions are handy tools that boost your bankroll and allow you to place more significant stakes or exploit more odds. The best sportsbooks have lucrative incentives lined up for their clients to keep them happy and bringing back more business.

The offered rewards cater to both new and returning clients in welcome and reload packages. Also, they have lenient terms and conditions that do not demand too high a price for their winnings to be cleared for withdrawal. The various bonuses awarded for horse racing include welcome, reload, cashback, loyalty, free bets, and reload bonuses.

Licenses

Online gambling is very much like the wild west with rogue sites looking to dupe players. Licenses are a great way to tell good sportsbooks from pawns. In Canada, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission offers licenses to local websites to confirm that they have been tested and verified as legitimate.

International licensing institutions with excellent reputations are also considered, including the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, Alderney Gaming Control Commission, and Curacao eGaming. These bodies’ licensees uphold the best gambling standards to ensure player protection.

Safety and security

Online sportsbooks require customers to provide personal information when opening accounts and conducting real money transactions. Without proper security measures in place, this info can be used for financial and identity theft.

We confirm that our listed bookmarkers have security systems in place, such as SSL encryption, to keep unauthorized third parties at bay. Also, they have to have PIN-protected accounts and run adequate checks on the user during withdrawals.

Customer support

A sportsbook’s client care system goes a long way in determining how well gamblers will experience their services. The best ones have responsive customer support teams with various methods of reaching them, such as live chat, phone, and email. Responses are usually timely, and staff members are well versed in handling an array of issues effectively. If an FAQ section is included, it touches on relevant questions that are commonly presented and offer detailed responses.

Banking and payouts

The bookmarkers listed on our website partner with payment methods available to Canadian bettors, including Visa, Neteller, Mastercard, Bitcoin, Skrill, Trustly, Paysafecard, and iDebit. These cashier channels assure the safe transaction of funds to and from accounts, and they apply reasonable rates and processing periods.

Competitive odds

Top-tier sportsbooks offer the best odds for players to maximize their payouts. The difference between odds on various websites is not usually significant. However, when placing numerous bets, the contrast can be substantial.

Additional features

We go for sportsbooks that go beyond offering the basic horse racing bets such as Win, Place, and Each Way. The best bookies have exotic bet types like Exacta, Quinella, Duet, Trifecta, First Four, and Daily Double.

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Top Websites to bet on Horse Racing

Out of the many websites available online, a few of them meet our applied criteria. Here are the most recommendable of these sportsbooks:

Bet365

Bet365 is an all-around gambling destination that houses a sportsbook and casino. The gaming den was established in 2001, and it currently operates under Hillside Gaming ENC, a New Jersey-based company.

Bet365 offers odds on the biggest horse races, including the Kentucky Derby, Aintree Festival, US Triple Crown, and Breeders’ Cup. Gamblers can also access other popular sports and events like football, hockey, baseball, tennis, soccer, and basketball.

Betway

Betway is one of the most prominent bookmarkers worldwide. The company started out in Europe in 2006, and it has spread to other regions like Canada over time. Betway Limited Casinos, the corporate head behind the entity, has its headquarters in Malta and tens of offices in other areas. Betway is famous for covering the biggest horse racing events with a range of basic and exotic odds attached to them.

Bettors can claim free bets worth CAD 10 when they spend CAD 25 or more on parlays and accumulators. These funds can be used in horse races and other events like football, cricket, cycling, eSports, curling, boxing, UFC, politics, and volleyball.

Sports Interaction

Sports Interaction has been around for over twenty years, having opened in 1997. The sportsbook is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Jersey Gaming Commission. Sports Interaction supports real money horse racing bets with reliable cashier channels like Skrill, Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, and Direct Deposit. The website also features a section with the latest news in the sports world, keeping gamblers updated all in one destination.

The Best Betting Types for Horse Racing

There are multiple kinds of stakes to choose from when betting in horse racing. These different types of wagers cut across various events. They might carry varying odds, but they mean the same thing despite where they are featured.

The best of these bets include:

Single This is the most common of all horse racing bet types. A single bet is a straight win bet or an each-way placed on a single event, and players collect winnings once it comes to pass. The number of places rewarded in an each-way stake varies depending on the field size.
Double The double bet consists of two outcomes placed on two different results in different races or even. Both stakes have to win for a payout to be guaranteed. If one of the events loses and the other wins, the bet is off.
Treble The Treble is a wager placed on three unique selections in different events or races. It is like the Double but with three places. All three events must have a winning outcome to guarantee a reward.
Accumulator The Accumulator is a step up from the treble and consists of four or more outcomes on different races or events. All four selected stakes must win for a return guarantee.
Trixie The Trixie bet is a lot like the treble since it comprises three wagers placed on different events. However, it consists of four bets in total, three of which are doubles and one treble. The bet guarantees payouts when at least two of the selected stakes win or place in an each-way bet.
Patent The Patent bet has three different choices that hold a total of seven stakes. Like the Trixie, this bet features three doubles and one treble. It adds three singles to the collection. The final payout varies depending on the results of each horse and the staked amount. Wins are awarded if at least one bet wins or places if it’s an each-way bet.
Yankee The Yankee bet carries three sections with ten stakes. The horses are placed in the following bet categories: six doubles, four trebles, and one fourfold accumulator. At least two selections must win or place to collect payouts. The stakes can be win or each-way based.
Lucky 15 A Lucky 15 consists of fifteen different stakes placed on four horses running in different events. The Lucky 15 carries all the selections in the Yankee with four added singles. Therefore, the bet ends up like this: four singles, six doubles, four trebles, and one fourfold accumulator. At least one selection must win or place to collect a win. The more choices that win, the better the returns.
Canadian The Canadian bet, also known as the Super Yankee, pulls out the big guns and consists of 26 individual bets. This wager features five selections on five horses running the same number of different races. It comprises ten doubles, ten trebles, five fourfolds, and one five-fold accumulator. At least two of these choices must win or place to get payouts.
Lucky 31 A Lucky 31 has the same number of individual bets spread out on five selections running different races or events. Like the Super Yankee, it consists of ten doubles, ten trebles, five fourfold, and one fivefold with five singles. At least one selection has to win to get payouts, and their values vary depending on the bets that win and the stakes used.
Trifecta This parimutuel bet is placed to predict the horses that will finish the race as the win (first place), place (second place), and show (third place). The predictions have to be in the exact order.
Quinella The Quinella bet is like the Trifecta but without the third-place prediction. The bettor has to select the first two finishers. They do not have to be in the exact order, as long as they cover the first and second places.

The Best Horse Racing Events to Bet On

Horse racing is a traditional sport that is mainly confined to formal events. Several of these races outshine the rest, some of which date back decades.

The best races to bet on include:

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is an event that runs for four days and takes place annually in March at the Cheltenham Racecourse. The race is popular with Irish visitors because it coincides with St. Patrick’s Day.

The festival has horses competing in several Grade I races, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Champion Hurdle. The prize money awarded to winners is second only to the Grand National.

Triple Crown Thoroughbred Racing

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is legendary in the USA for consisting of three races rather than one event: The Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes.

The Triple Crown title is awarded to a three-year-old thoroughbred horse that wins all three races. The title was commissioned in 1950, but the first horse to win the events did so in 1919.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby runs in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, and is held annually. The event is slotted for the first Saturday in May, and it drags on for two weeks in the Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition consists of a Grade I stakes race run by three-year-old thoroughbreds.

Breeders’ Cup

Breeders’ Cup Limited runs an annual series of Grade I races for thoroughbred horses. The event runs for two days and is held in different locations in the United States. The races are run on a left-handed track made of turf and dirt.

Aintree Festival

The Aintree Hurdle has been running since 1976 and is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race held in Great Britain. The event runs with horses that are four years or older, and they run a two-mile, four-furlong distance. The course has eleven hurdles. The event is usually scheduled for April.

Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is a horse racing, social, and fashion event rolled into one. The Royal Ascot meet started in 1711 under Queen Anne, making it one of the longest-standing events of its nature. It lasts four days, attended by the British Sovereign, and held in the Ascot Racecourse.

Glorious Goodwood

Glorious Goodwood is a festival that runs for five days and highlights the Goodwood racecourse season. The venue is famously considered the most beautiful racecourse thanks to its placement on the South Downs that offer breathtaking views of the countryside that surrounds it.

The Grand National

The Grand National is an annual England race that is a National Hunt horse race. The involved horses are seven years or older, run a four-mile, 2.5-furlong distance, and jump thirty fences over twenty laps.

Belmont Stakes

Belmont Stakes, regarded as the third jewel of the Triple Crown, is a Grade I stakes race held in the United States. The race is conducted with three-year-old thoroughbreds and is held in Elmont, New York.

Horse Racing Betting Bonuses and Promotions

Sportsbooks that feature horse racing often woo gamblers with an array of bonuses and promotions to boost their bankrolls. These incentives are packaged differently to target different bettors and circumstances, and the most popular ones are:

  • Welcome bonuses – incentives awarded to new clients after registering an account and committing real money.
  • Free bets – bonuses that allow punters to place free stakes, but the wager is not paid back like when using regular funds if the result is a win.
  • No deposit bonuses – boons granted to gamblers without requiring a cash-in to activate and are often available to new bettors.
  • Reload bonuses – incentives awarded to regular clients returning to place more bets after the first one.
  • Cashback bonuses – offers that give back gamblers a portion of the money spent or lost when betting.
  • Loyalty programs – clubs that reward bettors the more they bring business to a casino. Players can progress through different tiers by spending more money.

How to Bet on Horse Racing

The processing of placing horse racing bets is straightforward, especially if you understand the different kinds of bets offered. The procedure unfolds as follows:

  1. Choose an ideal website with the horse racing option, open an account, and deposit into it.
  2. Open the ‘horse races’ section and pick the one to bet on
  3. Determine the kind of bet to make, including singles, doubles, accumulator, and others.
  4. Place the stake and wait for the results.

Key Horse Racing Terms and What They Mean

The horse racing world has confusing jargon throw around, a lot of which can fly over the heads of unseasoned fans of the sport. Here are such standard terms you will hear and what they mean:

  • All-Weather Racecourse – a synthetic racing surface made using sand that is mostly not affected by the weather.
  • Blinkers – a headgear type fitted on horses that limit their field of vision on each side and keeps them focused on the race.
  • Bridle – a tack piece that goes over the horse’s head and helps the reins and other bits remain in place.
  • Cheekpieces – headgear made out of sheepskin that goes on each side of the harness and functions to keep the horse concentrated on the race like the blinkers.
  • Classic – Grade 1 contests ran by three-year-old thoroughbreds.
  • Furlong – an imperial distance measurement unity equal to 0.125 miles or a little over 201 meters.
  • Handicap – a race where horses carry different weights determined by their overall rating given by the handicapper.
  • Non-Runner – a horse taken out of a race for which it had already been declared.

FAQs

When did the Triple Crown start?

1950 was the first time the Triple Crown title was formally proclaimed at the Thoroughbred Racing Associations annual awards dinner in New York. The title was retroactively awarded to Sir Barton, the first horse to win all three races in 1919. All pre-1950 winners were also awarded the titles in the following annual dinners held by the organization. The Triple Crown championship is awarded to three-year-old Thoroughbred that wins the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Kentucky Derby in a single season. It is a coveted and celebrated achievement in not only horse racing but also all of sports.

What are trifecta odds?

Trifecta odds are bets placed on the three best finishers in a race, and they have to be in the exact order. You have to bet on the win (first-place horse), place (second-place horse, and show (third-place horse). Trifecta bets are some of the most challenging ones to win. However, if the odds are in your favor, the payouts are so profitable that they surpass those of exacta and quinella bets.

How do I place a bet on a horse race?

This straightforward procedure begins with selecting a bookmarker that offers horse racing in its portfolio. You can choose one of the sportsbooks recommended on our site that check out the best elements to look for in an ideal betting site. Go on to register an account with your chosen sportsbook and cash into it. Proceed to find a race you want to bet on depending on the best odds or a horse/jockey you like. The site most probably has a track where you can view all the upcoming races and the odds they offer. Once you choose your desire bet, sit back and wait for the race to unfold. If your selected horse wins, proceed to claim your winnings. If not, count your losses and repeat the process until you’re satisfied.