Reigning Champion American Pharoah, Dortmund, Upstart Favored Individuals in Three-Day Pool That Opens Friday
The mutuel field (#24), known to many racing fans as “All Others”, has been the favorite in each of Churchill Downs Racetrack’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) pools that have opened a calendar year since the wager was created in 1999, and there is no reason to expect that history will not be served when the opening pool of 2015 completes its Friday-through-Sunday (Feb. 6-8) run on Sunday evening.
Churchill Downs Handicapper Mike Battaglia has installed “All Others” as a strong even-money morning line favorite among the 24 betting interests in the three-day Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 that opens its run at 11:00 a.m. central on Friday, Feb. 6 and concludes on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. Recently-crowned 2014 Eclipse Award 2-year-old champion American Pharoah (#1), along with Dortmund (#5), Upstart (#23), Carpe Diem (#2) and Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade I) winner Texas Red (#21), headline the 23 individual betting interests.
The pool is the second KDFW pool leading up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, following an opening pool conducted Nov. 28-30. “All Others” was the odds-on 3-5 favorite in November’s three-day pool, which attracted total wagering of $234,574. Total betting in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, the first to feature four wagering pools, was $1,324,466.
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager enables fans of America’s greatest race to wager on candidates for the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (GI) well in advance of the race at odds that could be much more attractive than those offered on the day of the race. Winning payouts in all KDFW pools are determined by the odds that are in place at the end of each respective betting pool. Those winning mutuel payouts for the $2 minimum win and exacta wagers placed in each Kentucky Derby Future pool will be made following the running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs.
The favored mutuel field includes all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses listed among the 24 betting interests in KDFW Pool 2. With Battaglia tabbing “All Others” as such a strong favorite in his morning line odds, fans may find wagering value in the odds on the individual betting interests. Zayat Stables LLC’s American Pharoah, honored as the juvenile champion of 2014 after emphatic Grade I wins in the Del Mar Futurity and Santa Anita’s FrontRunner for three-time Kentucky Derbywinning trainer Bob Baffert, is the favored individual horse at 10-1.
American Pharoah was injured shortly before a scheduled run in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita and was forced to miss that race. He returned to serious training on Monday, Feb. 2 with a three-furlong workout at Santa Anita.
Close behind the champion and Pool 2 favorite are Kaleem Shah Inc.’s unbeaten Dortmund, the Baffert-trained winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (GI), and Ralph M. Evans’ Upstart, an impressive winner of the Holy Bull (GII) at Gulfstream Park for trainer Rick Violette Jr. Those wagering interests are the co-second choices among individual horses at 12-1. Dortmund was the 9-1 individual favorite during last fall’s opening pool of this year’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
No scratches or betting refunds are permitted in the Kentucky Derby Future wager, but betting will be suspended immediately on a wagering interest in any KDFW pool if Churchill Downs determines that injury, illness or other circumstance revealed during a pool would prevent a horse from competing in the race.
Wagering interests for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager were chosen by Churchill Downs committee that included Racing Secretary Ben Huffman, Senior Director of Communications Darren Rogers, Senior Racing Analyst Jill Byrne, Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager Gary Palmisano and Vice President, Racing Communications John Asher.
Free Brisnet Ultimate Past Performances for wagering interests in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available HERE . Brisnet also has complimentary past performances for all Triple Crown nominees HERE .
Two more Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools are scheduled in the months leading up to Derby 141. The dates for those pools are:
KDFW Pool 3: Friday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, March 1 (nine weeks in advance of Derby)
KDFW Pool 4: Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29 (five weeks in advance of Derby)
There will be a single pool for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which was launched in 2003 and is now in its 13th year. That pool will run concurrently with KDFW Pool 3 from Friday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, March 1. The only difference in the schedule of those pools is a 5:30 p.m. closing time for the Oaks pool, which is 30 minutes later than the KDFW pool.
Live odds will be available at Canterbury Park and are also available via www.kentuckyderby.com
