First Kentucky Derby Future Wager of Year Opens Thursday; Baffert Has Seven Prospects in Field Led by Unbeaten Game Winner

Nov 19, 2018

Seven horses conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer and five-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert, are among the 24 betting interests in Pool 1 of the 2019 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which kicks off a four- day run at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day.

Unbeaten Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade I) winner Game Winner heads the Baffert arsenal and is the 8-1 individual favorite on veteran odds maker Mike Battaglia’s morning line. The pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” is expected to be the overall first-pool favorite for the 21st consecutive year and Battaglia projects it to close as the 7-5 choice.

In addition to Game Winner, the impressive roster of Baffert-trained juveniles include flashy winners Improbable (10-1), Coliseum (15-1), Mucho Gusto (20-1), Magic On Tap (30-1), Roadster (30-1) and Tale of the Union (30-1).

Improbable, the runaway winner of the $100,000 Street Sense at Churchill Downs, and the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Instagrand, who won both of his starts by a combined 20 1⁄4 lengths before being shut down for the year, are the co-second betting choices at odds of 10-1.

Here’s the complete Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 field (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 Cairo Cat (Kenny McPeek, 30-1); #2 Code of Honor (Shug McGaughey, 20-1); #3 Coliseum (Bob Baffert, 15-1); #4 Dunph (Mike Maker, 30-1); #5 Epic Dreamer (Kelly Breen, 50-1); #6 Game Winner (Baffert, 8-1); #7 Gunmetal Gray (Jerry Hollendorfer, 30-1); #8 Improbable (Baffert, 10-1); #9 Instagrand (Hollendorfer, 10-1); #10 King for a Day (Todd Pletcher, 50-1); #11 Knicks Go (Ben Colebrook, 20-1); #12 Magic On Tap (Baffert, 30-1); #13 Maximus Mischief (Robert “Butch” Reid Jr., 30-1); #14 Mucho (Bill Mott, 50-1); #15 Mucho Gusto (Baffert, 20-1); #16 Network Effect (Chad Brown, 30-1); #17 Preamble (Rodolphe Brisset, 50-1); #18 Roadster (Baffert, 30-1); #19 Signalman (McPeek, 50-1); #20 Tale of the Union (Baffert, 30-1); #21 Uncle Benny (Jason Servis, 50-1); #22 Vekoma (George Weaver, 30-1); #23 “All 3-Year-Old Fillies” (30-1); and #24 “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” (7-5).

New to Pool 1 this year is an option for bettors to wager on “All 3-Year-Old Fillies,” which is projected by Battaglia to close at odds of 30-1.

The pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered concurrently with the fourth annual Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which provides bettors with a unique opportunity to wager on select breeding stars and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year’s Kentucky Derby.

Offspring sired by Candy Ride (ARG) and Into Mischief are 6-1 on the morning line for the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. Candy Ride (ARG)’s top Derby prospects include Game Winner and Nashua (GIII) victor Vekoma. Into Mischief is the sire of Best Pal (GII) champ Instagrand and unbeaten Parx-based Maximus Mischief.

  Here’s the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager field (with breeding farm and morning line odds): #1 Bernardini (Darley, 30- 1); #2 Cairo Prince (Airdrie Stud, 30-1); #3 Candy Ride (ARG) (Lane’s End, 6-1); #4 City Zip (deceased, 10-1); #5 Curlin (Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, 10-1); #6 Ghostzapper (Adena Springs, 30-1); #7 Giant’s Causeway (deceased, 30-1); #8 Into Mischief (Spendthrift Farm, 6-1); #9 Malibu Moon (Spendthrift Farm, 30-1); #10 Medaglia d’Oro (Darley, 15-1); #11 More Than Ready (WinStar Farm, 30-1); #12 Orb (Claiborne Farm, 30-1); #13 Pioneerof the Nile (WinStar Farm, 15-1); #14 Quality Road (Lane’s End, 15-1); #15 Scat Daddy (deceased, 15-1); #16 Speightstown (WinStar Farm, 50-1); #17 Tapit (Gainesway, 10-1); #18 Tiznow (WinStar Farm, 30-1); #19 Uncle Mo (Ashford Stud, 30-1); #20 Union Rags (Lane’s End, 30-1); #21 Violence (Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, 30-1); #22 War Front (Claiborne Farm, 30-1); #23 Will Take Charge (Three Chimneys Farm, 30-1); and #24 “All Other Sires” (5-1).

Last year, Justify was unraced at the time of the first Future Wagers and paid $4.40 to win the Derby as part of the “All Other 3-Year-olds” pari-mutuel field. However, a bet on his sire Scat Daddy returned $54.80 at odds of 26-1 in the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that Churchill Downs has hosted Future Wager pools in November on closing weekend of its Fall Meet. “All Other 3-Year-Olds” has won three of the last five years: California Chrome ($3.20 in 2014), Always Dreaming ($4.40 in 2017) and Justify. An early Pool 1 win bet on eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah netted $27.60 in 2015, and Nyquist’s 2016 Derby victory resulted in a $21.80 payoff.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) at odds that could be far greater and more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 145th running of Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 4, 2019 at Churchill Downs.

Bets can be placed at Churchill Downs Racetrack, TwinSpires.com and other online wagering outlets and satellite wagering centers across North America.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager and Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager combined to handle $293,212 in 2017. Pool 1 of the Future Wager totaled $250,259 ($177,103 in the Win pool and $73,156 in Exactas). The Sire Future Wager handled $42,953 ($27,731 in the Win pool and $15,222 in the Exactas).

There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week’s four-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.

More information, Brisnet.com past performances and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be available before the pool opens Thursday online at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager.

Dates for the remaining 2019 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks future pools are Feb. 8-10 (Pool 2), March 8-10 (Pool 3) and April 5-7 (Pool 4). The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager on March 8-10.