Betting a horse across the board means to back it in the win, place and show placings.
In other words, if you fancy a horse named Can Do but aren’t sure he’s good enough to win, you might bet $10 on him in all three placings, figuring you will at least collect something if he runs well.
In general this isn’t a smart move, as you could wind up losing money even if Can Do runs third. If his odds are high enough, a show bet would or incorporating him in exactas or trifectas with logical favorites might lead to better results over the long run.
What does betting across the board mean in horse racing?
