Meaning & use
exacta
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableAmericantechnical
A bet on a race in which you must pick the horses that finish first and second in the correct order.
Grammar: Countable: an exacta, two exactas.
Patterns
- bet an exacta
- win an exacta
- exacta box
He won two hundred dollars on a ten-dollar exacta at the track.
She boxed her picks in an exacta so the order did not matter.
The exacta paid well because the winner was a long shot.
Word forms
| plural | exactas |
|---|
Common combinations
- bet an exacta
- I always bet an exacta on the big Saturday race.
- exacta box
- An exacta box covers both finishing orders for two horses.
- hit the exacta
- He hit the exacta with a favorite and a long shot.
- exacta payout
- The exacta payout was higher than expected.
- play an exacta
- Many casual fans play an exacta for fun.
Synonyms and how they differ
- perfecta
- Perfecta is the same bet under a different name used in some places, and exacta is more widely recognized in the US.
- forecast
- Forecast is the British term for a similar bet, while exacta is American.
- trifecta
- A trifecta requires three horses in exact order, so it is harder than an exacta, which requires two.
Word family
Commonly confused: exacta or quinella? exacta or exactor?
exacta vs quinella
A quinella is a bet on the first two horses in any order, whereas an exacta needs the right order.
exacta vs exactor
Exactor is a rare word for someone who demands payment; it has nothing to do with betting.
Practice
You pick horses A and B to finish first and second in exactly that order. What bet is this?
Choose one answer.
An exacta needs the first two horses in the correct order. A quinella ignores order, and a trifecta needs three horses.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exacta”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.