The Ten-Cent Superfecta Is An Investor’s Dream

One of the many things we love about the Thoroughbred racing game is of course the wagering aspect. There is a plethora of ways to speculate on the ponies, but let’s take a moment and elaborate on one of our favorite wagers.

What’s the best ticket when playing this game of chance?… The simple answer is a winning one…But if we are going to be real, the low-risk, high-yield is what we are really after. Enter the 10-cent superfecta.

Most tracks and wagering platforms allow this bet to be placed. The goal is to select the first four finishers in the race. The best thing to do here is box that 10-cent bet which means no matter how the horses finish, as long as you have the top four on your ticket you are cashing. This raises your ticket price as it is 10 cents for every combination which will total $2.40.

Now, why is this one of our favorites? The 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic returned $202.56 on that $2.40 investment. The Chorleywood Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 14, 2025 paid $204.41. Last year’s Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs rewarded those who made the correct selections with $691.64. Last year’s Mint Millions Stakes also at Kentucky Downs cashed for $736.62 on yes, a $2.40 bet.You get the idea, low risk, high yield.

Of course, as is the case with all wagers, they all do not pay quite that well. Depending on the odds of those horses finishing in the top four, the payout can vary greatly, but it will usually be more than $2.40. For basically the cost of a king-size candy bar you can potentially enjoy double and triple digit returns on a Hershey’s with almonds.

A popular theory when chasing a ticket like this is of course have some longer shots in your top four. Including the race favorite is usually good too as cashing is the main objective. You root for the longshot to win of course, but if the favorite finds glory, at least you are covered and cashing, provided you have the top four finishers. Races with larger fields are always good for this type of speculation as the money is more evenly spread and that bumps up the reward. Turf sprint races can be especially nice for a big superfecta score as they usually have lots of entrants and can be ripe with upset winners and longer shots in the top four. Kentucky Downs is one of the best tracks for the 10-cent super as it usually has large fields and lots of long shot winners. There have been 10 cent superfecta payouts in excess of $10,000 at this Franklin, Kentucky track.

The superfecta is not an easy wager to nail, but for those that guess right it can be extremely rewarding for a couple of reasons. First of all, you were right about something and secondly, you may have just turned a Snickers into a night on the town.