Part 8: Key Wheeling in a Superfecta Bet
Key Wheeling in a Superfecta Bet
Key-wheeling in a superfecta 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, third, and fourth. If the 1 is key-wheeled with the 2, 3, and 5, the combinations of 1-2-3-5, 1-2-5-3, 1-3-2-5, 1-3-5-2, 1-5-2-3, and 1-5-3-2 are covered. As long as the 1 is the winner and any combination of the numbers 2, 3, and 5 are second, third, and fourth, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | $1($2) | $6 ($12) |
| 4 | 24 | $1($2) | $24 ($48) |
| 5 | 60 | $1($2) | $60 ($120) |
| 6 | 120 | $1($2) | $120 ($240) |
| 7 | 210 | $1($2) | $210 ($420) |
| 8 | 336 | $1($2) | $336 ($672) |
| 9 | 504 | $1($2) | $504 ($1008) |
| 10 | 720 | $1($2) | $720 ($1440) |
| 11 | 990 | $1($2) | $990 ($1980) |
| 12 | 1320 | $1($2) | $1320 ($2640) |
| 13 | 1716 | $1($2) | $1716 ($3432) |
A simple rule to remember to compute the cost of a key-wheeled superfecta 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 next lowest number MULTIPLIED by the dollar amount of the wager. EXAMPLE: A key-wheeled superfecta wager using 4 choices with the key-wheeled selection for $2 would be computed 4 (number of horses boxed with the key-wheeled selection) x 3 (next highest number) x 2 (next highest number) x 2 (dollar amount of the wager) = $48.