Fill in the blank (common collocation with betting) “People who ______ on horses usually lose in the end.” Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence.

Given data

• Sentence about people who put money on horse races.

Concept/Approach
Bet on is the standard verb-preposition collocation for gambling on outcomes (e.g., horses, matches). Present tense fits the generic truth in the sentence.

Option analysis
bet — correct base form collocating with “on horses.”wagered — past tense; tense mismatch with the general statement.speculate — used for financial markets; not the standard verb for gambling on races.backed up — phrasal verb meaning “support” or “create a queue”; wrong meaning.

Final Answer
bet