# Are parimutuel horse races in the U.S. maxed out at 99-1? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parimutuel-horse-races-in-the-u-s-maxed-out-at-99-1/291568 "2005-02-23T18:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parimutuel-horse-races-in-the-u-s-maxed-out-at-99-1/291568/1 "2005-02-23T18:25:58Z")
In [url=“[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=303837](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=303837)”]this thread, **BobT** asks > [@BobT](#): > > Are parimutuel horse races in the U.S. maxed out at 99-1 or is that an artificial limit established because old tote boards couldn’t handle the extra digits? Since the tread in question was about something else, I’m transferring **BobT** ’s question to another thread (hope you don’t mind, **BobT**!). If the odds are not maxed out at 99-1, what is the theoretical upper limit on the payout on a single horse? If ten horses are racing, and $9,999,982 is bet on #1, and $2 each are bet on #'s 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10?, then are the odds on #2 5,000,000-1? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parimutuel-horse-races-in-the-u-s-maxed-out-at-99-1/291568/2 "2005-02-23T18:42:35Z")
No, horse race bets can pay any odds, although a payout greater than 100-to-1 will be “rounded down” for display purposes on most tote boards. I’ve heard anecdotally of payouts in the $200-to-$300 range, which would be odds to win of a little greater than 100-to-1, but I haven’t been able to turn up any useful information by googling various combinations of “longest odds” and “record payout” and such like. All I get is links to tout sites! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parimutuel-horse-races-in-the-u-s-maxed-out-at-99-1/291568/3 "2005-02-23T19:35:10Z")
There is no upper limit. Theoretically, it could be as you indicated, but as a practical setup, you’d probably wouldn’t get a million dollar payout on a win bet. There’s only so much handle on a given race, and some bettors will be willing to put a couple of bucks down on a 99-1 shot in any field. Check out [this chart](http://www1.nyra.com/chart/dailyresults.asp?chartdate=2/17/2005&track=A). Scroll down to the ninth race. Note that “Live for Today” went off at 108.25-1 odds. They bettors were right in their analysis – he finished last – but a win would have been a payout of $218.50. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-parimutuel-horse-races-in-the-u-s-maxed-out-at-99-1/291568/4 "2005-02-23T19:58:57Z")
Doing some of my own work, if you go to this link [http://sports.sun-sentinel.com/default.asp?c=sun-sentinel&page=horse/breeders/2004/history.htm](http://sports.sun-sentinel.com/default.asp?c=sun-sentinel&page=horse/breeders/2004/history.htm) and scroll down to 1993, you will see that Arcangues won a race at the Breeders Cup no less going off at 133-1.