When playing a gimmick bet such as the trifecta (triple) it is often important to find that "banker or "key" horse.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, the trifecta is a bet in which you need to select the first three finishers of a race in exact order to collect (example 4-6-7). However there are many different ways of playing this bet.

You can of course play a straight ticket or you can box up numbers so that they can come in any order and you still collect. But the way many experienced bettors of the ticket go about it is a little bit different. When I am looking for a good trifecta race I tend to look for a race that will offer value, but at the same time offer me a banker horse. A banker horse would be a horse that I feel comfortable will hit the ticket but will probably not win the race. To win bet a horse like this is almost always a mistake, but when you couple him up in the tri you have a chance at a good ticket.

Finding a horse that fits the criteria will be up to you, but there are factors that can help. Look for horses that are at their preferred distance today, meaning that he/she is very comfortable with the distance. Look for a horse that handles the racetrack and surface they are at today. The last thing I look for is a fairly consistent in the money finisher. A horse that will consistently hit the board (sometimes at good odds) but seldom finds the circle. Horses like these are usually good staying types who just seem to lack that bit of kick needed to win races.

When I find a horse like that my ticket might look something like this.

Using #4 Horse As Banker,

Play 3-6-9-11 / 4 / 1-3-6-9-11-13 ,

Play 3-6-9-11 / 1-3-6-9-11-13 / 4

So here we are keying on the #4 horse to run 2nd or 3rd today and using the horses I have determined are a winning chance up front. Notice how I will use less horses for first and more for 2nd and 3rd. The 3rd spot is generally the most difficult when playing the trifecta as it is possible for many runners to grab 3rd, but at the same time it will often add value to the ticket.

Look for these types of key horses in tough wide open races and you will be cashing some good tickets using very logical banker horses.
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