Four horses to bet in the first round of Kentucky Derby future wagers

Nov 25, 2020 J. Keeler Johnson

Horseplayers will have an opportunity to lock in enticing odds on their favorite Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders thanks to a pair of future wager pools open for betting Thursday through Sunday.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 and the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager each feature 24 betting interests, and with slightly more than five months remaining until the “Run for the Roses,” even horses as accomplished as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Essential Quality figure to offer odds of 10-1 or higher.

#11 Life Is Good (15-1): Conditioned by six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, Life Is Good made a fantastic impression in his debut at Del Mar last Sunday. Favored at 1-5 in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden sprint, the son of leading sire Into Mischief dashed to the front through fast fractions, then widened effortlessly under jockey Mike Smith to score by 9 1/2 lengths. Granted, 15-1 is a pretty short price to accept five months before the Derby. But the sky is the limit for this $525,000 yearling purchase, who could very well develop into Baffert’s next sophomore star.

#20 Speaker’s Corner (50-1): After finishing third in his debut sprinting 6 furlongs at Saratoga, Speaker’s Corner stretched out over 7 furlongs at Belmont Park and delivered a sharp performance. Rallying hard from behind a fast pace, Speaker’s Corner got up to win by three-quarters of a length over fellow Kentucky Derby Future Wager contender Caddo River. A son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense out of a mare by 2006 Preakness (G1) winner Bernardini, Speaker’s Corner is bred to relish classic distances and looks like an improving prospect for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

#5 Constitution (20-1): Winner of the 2014 Florida Derby (G1), Constitution is off to a sensational start at stud. His first crop of foals produced 2020 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Tiz the Law, and while a standout has yet to emerge from his second crop, I expect a few promising prospects to emerge during the winter. Coronation Futurity winner Stephen and impressive debut winner Never Surprised are just two of the possibilities.