Racing & Pari-Mutuel

Quinella

A quinella is a racing bet in which you select the first two finishers in any order. It is also called a quiniela or a boxed exacta.

Also known as: Quiniela, boxed exacta, boxed perfecta ¹
Applies to: Horse racing, harness racing, keirin (as 2車複 / nishafuku) ³
How it works: Name two runners before the race. The ticket wins if they finish first and second in either order. ¹
Key difference from exacta: An exacta requires the correct order; a quinella does not. ²

Key points

A quinella is simpler than an exacta because order does not matter — you win if your two selections occupy the top two places in either sequence. ¹
In parimutuel pools, the quinella payout is determined by the total amount bet on that combination, minus the track take. ¹
The term appears in keirin racing as nishafuku (2車複), where bettors pick two riders to finish first and second in any order. ³
A quinella is not a general English word; it is used only as a betting term. ⁴

Quinella vs exacta

How the two bets compare
Feature	Quinella	Exacta
Order of finish	Any order	Exact order
Difficulty	Easier to win	Harder to win
Typical payout	Lower	Higher
Also called	Quiniela, boxed exacta	Perfecta, exactor

Common questions

What is a quinella bet?

A quinella bet is a wager on two runners to finish first and second in a race, in either order. It is a parimutuel bet common in horse racing, harness racing, and keirin. ¹

What is a quinella in horse racing?

In horse racing, a quinella is a bet where you pick two horses to finish first and second, regardless of which one wins. It is simpler than an exacta because you do not need to predict the exact finishing order. ¹²

What is a quinella box?

A quinella box is another name for a quinella itself — it means you have boxed (covered) both possible orders of your two selections. The term is sometimes used to distinguish it from an exacta box, which covers two exacta bets. ²⁵

Where this term is used

Racing

Not the same as

Quinella vs quinella box — a page that explains the subtle difference between the terms
Trifecta quinella — a comparison between a quinella and a trifecta bet
Exacta box vs quinella — a comparison between an exacta box and a quinella
Quinella meaning in English — a page on the non-betting usage of the word quinella

Racing Quinella vs quinella box Explains the difference between the base quinella bet and the boxed version. Racing Trifecta quinella Compares a quinella (top two, any order) with a trifecta (top three, exact order). Racing Quinella payout How quinella payouts are calculated in parimutuel pools. Racing Quinella wheel A betting strategy that combines one runner with several others in quinella combinations. Racing Exacta box vs quinella Shows how an exacta box and a quinella differ in cost and coverage. Racing Quinella meaning in English Covers the rare non-betting uses of the word quinella.

Sources

Parimutuel betting en.wikipedia.org Defines the quinella bet and its parimutuel context.
Betting on horse racing en.wikipedia.org Lists quinella as a synonym for boxed exacta in horse racing.
Keirin en.wikipedia.org Explains the use of quinella (nishafuku) in keirin racing.
Quinella - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Confirms that quinella is not a general English word.
Glossary of bets offered by UK bookmakers en.wikipedia.org Describes quinella as a boxed exacta in UK betting terminology.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.