Part 7: Key Wheeling in a Trifecta Bet
Key Wheeling in a Trifecta Bet
Key-wheeling in a trifecta bet means selecting a key horse in a fixed position, usually first, and wheeling any number of other horses in multiple combinations to finish in the remaining positions, usually second and third. If the 1 is key-wheeled with the 2, 3, and 5, the combinations of 1-2-3, 1-2-5, 1-3-2, 1-3-5, 1-5-2, and 1-5-3 are covered. As long as the 1 is the winner and any combination of the numbers 2, 3, and 5 are second and third, the key-wheeled wager is a winner. The more numbers used with the key-wheeled selection, the greater the number of possibilities covered. However, the more numbers used, the greater the cost to cover the wager.
| # of choices | # of combinations | $ amount of bet | Cost of bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | $1($2) | $2 ($4) |
| 3 | 6 | $1($2) | $6 ($12) |
| 4 | 12 | $1($2) | $12 ($24) |
| 5 | 20 | $1($2) | $20 ($40) |
| 6 | 30 | $1($2) | $30 ($60) |
| 7 | 42 | $1($2) | $42 ($84) |
| 8 | 56 | $1($2) | $56 ($112) |
| 9 | 72 | $1($2) | $72 ($144) |
| 10 | 90 | $1($2) | $90 ($180) |
| 11 | 110 | $1($2) | $110 ($220) |
| 12 | 132 | $1($2) | $132 ($264) |
| 13 | 156 | $1($2) | $156 ($312) |
A simple rule to remember to compute the cost of a key-wheeled trifecta wager would be as follows: the number of horses to be boxed with the keyed selection MULTIPLIED by the next lowest number MULTIPLIED by the dollar amount of the wager. EXAMPLE: A key-wheeled trifecta using 4 choices with the key-wheeled selection for $2 would be computed 4 ( the number of horses boxed with the key-wheeled selection) x 3 (next lowest number) x 2 (dollar amount of wager) = $24.