The weekly, free-to-enter, Road to Kentucky Handicapping Contest continues Saturday with races from Turfway Park, nine total including the $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes. A field of 11 has been drawn for the Battaglia, the sixth race on the Turfway program. Contest entry deadline and first post is 5:15 p.m. Contest entry cards are available at the third level Information Center beginning at 10:00 a.m. Those interested in playing must submit the completed entry form personally.
For complete contest rules and the current standings, go HERE.
Ferrozzo Wins HPWS Satellite
Canterbury’s final satellite handicapping contest for the 2015 Horse Player World Series was held this past Saturday. Mike Ferrozzo, fresh off a tenth place finish in the National Handicapping Championship, is still in good form. He won the HPWS satellite and earned a trip and entry to the annual contest at The Orleans Casino Hotel in Las Vegas at the end of March.
The format allowed for 10 mythical $2 win/place wagers on races of the entrants choice. Ferrozzo struck the lead in the late in the day, finishing with a total of $116.60.
Michael Mills was second with $109.20. Mills also earned a HPWS package valued at $2,000. Dave Melin held off a late challenge by Mark Freiberg to finish third with $102.20. Freiberg selected the winner in the final contest-eligible race, the Risen Star Stakes, but the horse was bet down late and the 7 to 2 odds were not enough to overtake Melin, who collected $1,600 for third.
Super Satellites for the April 4 Spring Tune-Up Contest are underway now. Entry fee is $10.
‘ALL OTHERS’ SOLID KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURES POOL 3 FAVORITE OVER BOB BAFFERT-TRAINED DUO OF AMERICAN PHAROAH, DORTMUND
Third of Four 2015 Derby Future Pools Opens Three-Day Run on Friday, Feb. 27, Closes Sunday, March 1
With just over nine weeks remaining until the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), uncertainty surrounds some of the Derby’s major contenders and it is reflected in the morning line odds for this week’s third of four pools of Churchill Downs Racetrack’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”), which launches its three-day run on Friday, Feb. 27 and concludes on Sunday, March 1.
The Mutuel Field, or “All Others”, which includes all 3-year-olds other than the 23 individual horses among Pool 3’s 24 wagering interests, is the 3-1 favorite in Churchill Downs’ handicapper Mike Battaglia’s morning line. That’s a customary, though not exclusive spot for that wagering interest in the next-to-last pool of the wager that was introduced in 1999. Battaglia’s 3-1 odds reflect increased interest in individual horses in the pool, but given, late starts on pre-Derby racing campaigns by some of the pool’s individual stars, “All Others” should emerge as a clear fan’s choice in Pool 3.
Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert appears to be in an enviable spot with nine weeks remaining before Kentucky Derby 141 as he conditions both of the 8-1 co-second choices in KDFW Pool 3: Zayat Stables LLC’s reigning Eclipse Award 2-year-old champion American Pharoah (#1) and Kaleem Shah Inc.’s unbeaten Dortmund (#6).
The other major player in KDFW Pool 3 that is surrounded by a bit of mystery is Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels and J. Keith Desormeaux et al’s Texas Red, who romped to an easy victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was the 9-1 favored individual horse in early February’s second Derby Futures pool. He made his 3-year-old debut in a strong runner-up finish to Peachtree Stable’s Lord Nelson (#15, 30-1) in the seven-furlong San Vicente (GII) on Feb. 1 at Santa Anita, but Texas Red suffered a foot abscess following that race. Trainer and co-owner Keith Desormeaux still has the May 2 Kentucky Derby as the colt’s target, but Texas Red has not worked since the ailment was discovered. Battaglia placed his Pool 3 odds at 12-1.
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager enables fans to wager on the Kentucky Derby 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.
Pool 3 of the Derby Future Wager will run concurrent to the only Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool of 2015. Wagering on both pools is set to open at 11:00 a.m on Friday, Feb. 27. Betting on the Kentucky Derby pool will close at 5 p.m. on Sunday, while the Kentucky Oaks pool will remain open for an addition 30 minutes before closing at 5:30 p.m.
Wagering interests for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager were chosen by Churchill Downs committee that included Racing Secretary Ben Huffman, Senior Director of Communications and Media Services Darren Rogers, Director of Programming and Senior Racing Analyst Jill Byrne, Player Services Manager Gary Palmisano and Vice President, Racing Communications John Asher.
After the closing of KDFW Pool 3, one Derby Futures pool will remain on the schedule prior to Kentucky Derby 141. The fourth and final KDFW pool is set for five weeks before the Derby and will run from Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29.
Real-time odds during the three-day run of KDFW Pool 3 and other information the wager and the Kentucky Derby are available at the official event Web site at http://www.kentuckyderby.com/racing-wagering/future-wager/pool-3-final-odds.
KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER POOL 3
Friday, Feb. 27-Sunday, March 1
# Wagering Interest Morning Line Odds
1 American Pharoah 8-1
2 Bolo* 50-1
3 CarpeDiem 12-1
4 Danzig Moon* 50-1
5 Daredevil 30-1
6 Dortmund 8-1
7 El Kabeir 30-1
8 Far From Over* 15-1
9 Far Right 20-1
10 Firing Line 20-1
11 International Star 20-1
12 Itsaknockout 20-1
13 Keen Ice* 50-1
14 Khozan 15-1
15 Lord Nelson 30-1
16 Mr. Z 50-1
17 Ocean Knight 15-1
18 Ocho Ocho Ocho 20-1
19 Prospect Park 30-1
20 Texas Red 12-1
21 The Great War 30-1
22 Upstart 15-1
23 War Story 30-1
24 Mutuel Field – All Other 3YOs 3-1
Morning Line Odds by Mike Battaglia
*New wagering interest in KDFW Pool 3
Remember a few key points:
1. The Derby Future Wager Pool will open on Friday (pool opens at 11:00 a.m.) and close on Sunday (pool closes at approximately 5:00 pm )
2. The Oaks Future Wager Pool will open on Friday (pool opens at 11:00 am) and close on Sunday (pool closes at approximately 5:30 pm)
3. Exacta Wagering is available for both the Kentucky Derby Pool 3 and Kentucky Oaks Pool 1
4. Live odds are also available via kentuckyderby.com and kentuckyoaks.com and will be on Channel 22 in-house at Canterbury
