Is the 88 really that good? I believe the 88% metric is a probability for horses that can win the race, not necessarily run second or third for exacta and trifecta wagers. Also, there is an odds factor built in. Just because one of the horses in the group has a probability of 88% to win the race doesn't mean the others will have an 88% chance to run second, third, or fourth. I don't think it works that way.