Betting advice question

[Seattleallstar]

at what point is it worth to put a horse to win rather than play it on top of a trifecta. I usually play a trifecta spending $12 per $1 play, a few times I have placed longshots on top from 12-1 to 25-1 that have won but did not manage to complete the 2nd or third spots for the tri.

Another situation today is at Santa Anita race 6, I absolutely loved the 1 and 6, stone cold for 1st and 2nd. I thought the best play was to play a super, I played a $1 super 1/6/2,3,4/ALL which cost $21 dollars, it won for $314, but if I had just played the Exacta I would of gotten back $357, if I played the tri I would of gotten back $539. Was it worth the risk to hope for a bomb for 4th or should I have just stuck to the straight exacta bet and or play a tri multiple times since I felt so strongly about the race.

Thanks