The appeal of betting on horse racing, for me at least, is summed up in the axiom, “bet a little to win a lot.” That requires finding longshots worthy of making a win bet on and also structuring what are called “exotic bets” such as the exacta and trifecta to ensure a hefty payout.

Whenever someone asks “why should I bet on horse racing?” a great answer is the potential for massive returns on a small investment, and the trifecta is a wager that offers this opportunity.

My colleague Dan Tordjman outlined his first time hitting the Kentucky Derby trifecta in the first installment of this blog series. I was lucky enough to hit the Derby trifecta three times in four years in 2012, 2014, and 2015 (none since, of course!).