The Kentucky Derby — the first leg of America’s three best-known horse races — is sometimes referred to as “The Greatest Two Minute In Sports.”

And in 2005 we turned to the TV to watch the greatest two minutes of U.S. horse racing in our lifetime.

Twenty thoroughbreds, all three years of age, hard charged a mile and a quarter of dirt track with some of the sport’s most competent jockeys on their back.

A 50-to-1 shot dashed to first, a 71-to-1 shot ran second, and a 4-to-1 shot crossed the finish line in third. The first two horses were named Giacomo and Closing Argument.

One of the amazing facts of that rare race? If you placed a US$2 bet on those three horses coming in that exact order, called the trifecta, you could have won over US$130,000.

Not a bad payout, right?

We at Wonder Shuffle don’t condone heavy gambling, but, for most of the masses, we feel making a SMALL wager on this ONE race every year is great way to enhance the experience.

We’ve only won a Derby exacta bet once a few years back, so the following advice shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but the one bet that sometimes has worked for us in other races is called a “$1 partial wheel trifecta bet.”

It costs US$27 to lay down (as you’re putting 9 horses in play with 27 possible winning combinations), but, expense aside, this type of bet gives you more ways to win and more horses to root for, adding to the fun.

How a US$1 partial wheel trifecta bet works: you are choosing any three different horses to win first place, any three other different horses to win second place, and any three other different horses to win third place.

So a bet, for example, looks like this:

FIRST PLACE (TO WIN)

Horse 1, Horse 2, or Horse 3

SECOND PLACE (TO PLACE)

Horse 4, Horse 5, or Horse 6

THIRD PLACE (TO SHOW)

Horse 7, Horse 8, or Horse 9

So if Horse 2 wins, Horse 5 places and Horse 9 shows, you win half of the trifecta payout amount posted after the race (For NOVICES: trifecta payouts are calculated on a $2 wager basis).

Now, how do you choose the horses for your partial wheel? Well, that’s up to you. Horse racing is really a lottery with live animals. In theory, any number can show up at any time.

But our strategy is that for each line we always select a favourite, along with a middle contender, and a long shot – while never forgetting the jockeys who ride them.

Any other advice? Yup, you never choose a grey horse as the first place winner.

Why? That’s easy.

The man who told us not to ever pick a white-haired horse to win any race . . . was none other than a 2005 Kentucky Derby trifecta winner.

For one of his bets, he forked over US$27 for a US$1 partial wheel trifecta wager that netted him over US$60,000.

Not a bad payout, right? Not bad at all.

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The Kentucky Derby takes place every first Saturday in May. See www.kentuckyderby.com for more details.

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Please note: Wonder Shuffle is all about responsible fun. If you or your loved one have a gambling problem, there’s help. Call your local helpline, search the web for support groups near you, or don’t hesitate to enter a gambling addiction online forum for assistance.

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Image by G.C. from Pixabay