The 5 Best Horse Racing Betting Apps in 2023

Horse racing is a very popular sport all over the world and in the US. With that in mind, we’ve decided to take a quick look at some of the best horse racing betting apps available in the US.

Betting Apps for Horse Racing in the US

Betting on horse races is probably as old as the sport itself, but, unlike in the old days, you don’t have to actually be at the track to place a bet.

Today, you can place your bets online, using one of many horse racing betting apps. Here is our top choice:

TVG – An Expert In Horse Race Betting

This is one of the best horse racing betting apps in the US, specializing in horse races. There is also betting on greyhound races on the app in some states. The app is easy to use and navigate, with an exceptional number of different tracks and races.

Get the TVG App >>

You can also watch live streams of many races on the TVG app and check out the latest stats for the races you want to bet on the TVG blog or handicapping store.

TVG also offers a welcome bonus, which is “Get Your First Single-Horse Win Wager up to $200 Back If You Lose”.

TwinSpires – A Horse Racing Specialist

Another impressive app on our list of the best horse racing betting apps is TwinSpires. This app offers a huge selection of races from more than a hundred different tracks around the globe. They also provide live streams and handicapping assistance for their users.

Of course, TwinSpires also has a welcome bonus for new players, which is a cash bonus of $200 after you’ve spent $800 on the app. The bonus is awarded in two $100 increments with the first one awarded after you spend $400.

Xpressbet – An Extensive Selection of Tracks and Races

One of the best horse racing betting apps when it comes to the selection of tracks and races, Xpressbet offers betting on more than 300 tracks across the world. Most of the races on these tracks are offered on the app’s live streaming service.

You can also claim the welcome bonus on the app when you register. This is a $125 bonus, awarded in $25 increments for each $100 you wager on the app.

BetAmerica – A Well-Designed Horse Racing App

In our opinion, BetAmerica has perhaps the best-designed app of all operators. Their app is dedicated strictly to horse racing, but you can register on their website to claim the welcome offer of a $50 bonus bet awarded to you once you wager $50 on the site or the app.

The app is focused on user experience since it’s so easy to navigate and place a bet. You can also find a handicapping store on the app, more than 200 tracks covered, and live streams of many different races you can bet on.

Nyra Bets – A Unique Horse Betting Experience

While Nyra Bets app is similar to others on our list when it comes to the number of tracks and races, they have a special feature that allows users to compete in various contests to win different prizes. The app also has high-quality streams, different betting tools, and handicapping assistance, etc.

When it comes to their welcome offer, Nyra Bets offers a matching deposit bonus of up to $200 for new players once they make their first deposit.

How to Choose the Horse Racing Betting Apps

When you are choosing the app to download and use, there are a few things you should focus on. So, let’s check them out:

Total Number of Tracks and Races

The first thing to consider is the number of tracks and races that the app covers. The greater the number, the more betting options you will have. The best horse racing betting apps will cover at least 100 tracks, while some of them may cover more.

Betting Markets and Odds

The variety of betting markets for horse racing may not be as important as it is for other sports, but it’s still something to consider. That being said, the difference is often minimal and most betting apps provide the basic markets like straight bets, exacts, daily doubles, box bets, etc.

The odds will also not vary by much from one betting app to another, but even a small difference will add up over time.

Bonuses and Promotions

Betting apps usually have a welcome offer for new members and this can come in a form of a matching deposit bonus, a risk-free bet, a free bet, bonus funds, or something completely unique.

Since welcome offers are mostly similar on many apps, you should also check other available promotions and bonuses for new and active players.

Another thing we’d like to specify regarding bonuses relates to exclusive deals for major events. A prime example of this would be the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in the UK. With the festival hosting a series of grade one events over four days, certain betting apps have increased the welcome bonus to entice new signups. Essentially, this means you can go ahead and use these larger bonuses for Cheltenham if desired.

Speaking of such bonuses, if you click here, you can check out some of the hottest bonuses related to Cheltenham right now. But make sure you act quickly, as the festival is just days away!

Live Streaming and Other Unique Features

Live streaming is an important part of any horse racing betting app that’s worthwhile because the biggest rush from betting on horse racing comes from actually watching the race. So, make sure that the app you consider offers live streaming.

In addition to this, many horse racing betting apps have a section for helping their players with analysis, tips, handicapping, etc. These tools and features are usually free, but in some cases, you may need to pay a subscription or a fee.

You can also check out our other detailed post: how to bet on horse racing.

Betting on Horse Racing Betting Apps – Most Popular Events

Most betting apps that offer horse racing cover different tracks and races from all around the world, so let’s check out some of the more popular events:

Most Popular Events in the USA

• Kentucky Derby Betting

  The Kentucky Derby is the very first leg of what’s known as the Triple Crown in North America. The Triple Crown is open solely for thoroughbreds that are aged three years old. Being the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is particularly prestigious, as reflected in the near $2 million prize money. And when it comes to betting on the Kentucky Derby, practically all online sportsbooks cover the event in the USA.

  The race itself is held in Louisville, Kentucky, and the distance of the race is approximately 2km. A total of 20 horses compete on this dirt track at the Churchill Downs each year. And for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, the race will take place on Saturday, May 7th. Since that is right around the corner, as you’d imagine, punters are going wild when it comes to Kentucky Derby betting. Great bonuses and red hot markets are available everywhere right now, and you can join them by signing up at any of the top horse racing sites today.

  As for the favorite horses, they include Zandon and Epicenter – at least these are the favorites according to the odds.

• Preakness Stakes

  The Preakness Stakes takes place just a couple of weeks after the Kentucky Derby. And as you may have guessed, this one makes up the second leg of the Triple Crown in North America. But instead of taking place in Louisville, this one takes place all the way up in Maryland. It’s a huge horse racing event, of course, which is why many people are interested in betting on the Preakness Stakes. As for the 2022 event, the odds are not yet available as the participants are yet to be announced.

  Then again, that doesn’t mean that you cannot educate yourself on the event and the course to be ready for when the odds are revealed. On that note, the course is a dirt track with a left-handed swing, and the total distance is around 1.90km. This makes it shorter than the Kentucky Derby, but it’s still just as exciting to watch. And yes, Preakness Stakes betting can easily be done at most of the top sportsbooks in the USA.

  Should you register with any of them as a new customer, a nice welcome bonus will be waiting for you too.

• Belmont Stakes

  The last leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes event. For this one, the Triple Crown comes to New York State, and with just 12 horses allowed to compete (maximum), this one is always a more intricate affair. However, while it’s a smaller field than races like the Kentucky Derby, for example, this doesn’t mean that the excitement is subpar – not by any stretch of the imagination. Belmont Stakes betting is just as epic as it is for the previous Triple Crown events, and it is also the longest race of all the Triple Crown legs.

  At almost 2.5km required for the entire course, horses certainly need stamina and some added flair to grab a win in this event. The prize purse for this event is also $1.5 million, which is pretty similar to the prize money for other Triple Crown events. So of course, the jockeys certainly aren’t lacking in motivation for the Belmont Stakes.

  The cool thing about this event is that if a horse has managed to win the previous two races, it has a shot to become a ‘Triple Crown winner’. This has happened quite a few times throughout history, and we’d love another one to pull through in 2022.

• Breeders’ Cup

  Moving away from the Triple Crown now, we have the Breeders’ Cup. Rather than being just one singular race here, the Breeders’ Cup actually relates to a series of 14 races held throughout the year. Needless to say – this demonstrates plenty of Breeders’ Cup betting that you can get involved with. But while the overall franchise has 14 races held throughout the year, the pinnacle of them all takes place in November, and this race is referred to as the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

  While previous races throughout the year tend to have prize money in the $1 million range, the Breeders’ Cup Classic has prize money of $6 million – at least this is the latest figure for the 2022 event. In fact, the race has become so popular and prestigious that many have now coined this to be a ‘fourth’ leg of thoroughbred racing. The name for this, combined with the other Triple Crown races now has the title of being the ‘Grand Slam’.

  Should you be interested in betting on the Breeders’ Cup, you may need to wait a while longer, as the ante-post markets are not yet available.

Most Popular Events Worldwide

• Dubai World Cup

  In terms of global horse racing events, it really doesn’t get much bigger than the Dubai World Cup. One of the reasons for this recognition is because of the prize money involved. In recent years, the Dubai World Cup has attracted a prize purse of $12 million. Officially, this makes it the most lucrative horse race in the world. The race itself usually takes place at the end of March each year. So for the 2022 edition, sadly, you’ve already missed it! The winner was a horse by the name of Country Grammer – owned and operated by a United States citizen, Bob Baffert.

  As you can probably imagine, this is a Grade One event open to horses from all over the globe. The race itself covers a distance of 2.0km, so horses do need to be able to last out there in the incredible Dubai heat. And compared with other horse races we’ve talked about here, the Dubai World Cup is relatively brand new. It’s only been around since 1996, whereas other horse races have been taking place for well over 100 years.

• Epsom Derby

  For the Epsom Derby, sometimes known as the Derby Stakes or simply, The Derby, we need to bring things back to the United Kingdom. The Epsom Derby is a huge horse race that takes place each and every year at the Epsom Downs Racecourse. Of course, the Epsom Derby is a Grade One race, operating under the category of a ‘flat race’. In fact, of all the flat races that are held in the United Kingdom, the Epsom Derby is the richest by prize money. The prize purse has surpassed the £1 million pound mark (around $1.3 million) for the 2022 edition, and the race is scheduled for Saturday, June 4th.

  So as you can see, the Epsom Derby isn’t all that far away. And unlike some of the other races here, betting on the Epsom Derby can already be done since the ante-post options are open for business. Interestingly, the number of competitors tends to vary for the Epsom Derby too. Typically, a total of 12-16 horses compete, but there can be as many as 20 too, although this is rare.

  As for Epsom Derby betting for the 2022 race, more than 50 horses are currently listed in the ante-post markets.

• Japan Cup

  The Japan Cup is another colossal horse racing event you may be interested in betting on. This race is also quite new compared with some of the others listed here, as it has only been around since the early 1980s. Then again, it is a race that has captured the hearts of competitors and fans alike since its inception. And for that reason, the Japan Cup is now one of the world’s richest horse races. This event usually takes place in November each and every year, and for 2022, it is scheduled for November 27th.

  As for the number of horses that will compete, the Japan Cup is capped at a maximum of 18, keeping things relatively small. However, while the number of participants may be relatively small, the prize money is anything but. According to early reports, the Japan Cup will boast a total prize purse of around $5.8 million for 2022. This one really is a truly international event too, with horses from various corners of the globe allowed to compete.

  Make sure you stay poised for betting on the Japan Cup too, as participants could be announced over the coming weeks.

• Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

  Finally, we come to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. As you can probably guess from the name, this one takes place in France, and the 2022 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe will be held on Sunday, October 2nd. Like many of the other events we’ve talked about here, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a Grade One race open to thoroughbreds. But unlike other races we’ve mentioned, there is no specific age requirement for this one. Any thoroughbred horse can get involved, although winning this race on numerous occasions has proved to be tricky.

  Just two horses have managed to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on back-to-back occasions in the last 20 years. This makes the race somewhat difficult when it comes to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe betting. But then again, since it is Europe’s richest race, and the second-richest horse race in the world, it’s always worth tuning in for. The action rarely disappoints, as the participating horses must cover the 2.4km of track in their pursuit of victory.

  But at the time of writing, if you are interested in betting on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, you’ll have to wait a little while for the runners to be announced.