Louisiana Derby Winner Epicenter Made 5-1 Favorite in Final Pool of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Apr 05, 2022

Fans will have the final pari-mutuel opportunity to bet on this year’s Kentucky Derby in advance of the May 7 race beginning Thursday at noon (all times Eastern) through Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”).

Pool 5 of the KDFW features 24 betting interests and the 5-1 early morning line favorite is Winchell Thoroughbreds ’ $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (Grade II) winner Epicenter.

          Unlike the previous three-day Kentucky Derby Future Wager opportunities, Pool 5 will feature an early start on Thursday and will close Saturday at 4:30 p.m. prior to the first Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series event held that day .

Nine individual betting interests in Saturday’s pool are expected to run in that day’s $1 million Blue Grass (GI), $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) and $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI).

          Betting for Pool 5 of the KDFW is available at simulcast centers throughout the country as well as most wagering platforms, including www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs.

          Epicenter stamped himself as the early Kentucky Derby favorite with an authoritative 2 ½-length score in the Louisiana Derby. The Steve Asmussen trainee was offered in each of the first four KDFW pools and closed at 52-1 in Pool 1, which closed Nov. 28. Over the next three months, bettors quickly began to take notice of Epicenter’s Kentucky Derby potential as he closed at odds of 24-1 in Pools 2 and 3 and 13-1 in Pool 4.

          One of the other top betting choices in Pool 5 of the KDFW is Lucky Seven Stable ’s $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Smile Happy. The Runhappy colt, trained by Kenny McPeek, is expected to be the favorite in Saturday’s Blue Grass at Keeneland.

          Here is the complete field for Pool 5 of the KDFW (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 Barber Road (John Ortiz, 50-1); #2 Charge It (Todd Pletcher, 12-1); #3 Crown Pride (JPN) (Koichi Shintani, 50-1); #4 Cyberknife (Brad Cox, 12-1); #5 Early Voting (Chad Brown, 20-1); #6 Emmanuel (Todd Pletcher, 20-1); #7 Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, 5-1); #8 Ethereal Road (D. Wayne Lukas, 50-1); #9 Forbidden Kingdom (Richard Mandella, 8-1); #10 In Due Time (Kelly Breen, 50-1); #11 Messier (Tim Yakteen, 8-1); #12 Mo Donegal (Todd Pletcher, 20-1); #13 Morello (Steve Asmussen, 20-1); #14 Pioneer of Medina (Todd Pletcher, 30-1); #15 Simplification (Antonio Sano, 15-1): #16 Slow Down Andy (Doug O’Neill, 50-1); #17 Smile Happy (Kenny McPeek, 6-1); #18 Summer Is Tomorrow (Bhupat Seemar, 50-1); #19 Tawny Port (Brad Cox, 50-1); #20 Tiz the Bomb (Kenny McPeek, 12-1); #21 White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph Jr, 8-1); #22 Zandon (Chad Brown, 20-1); #23 Zozos (Brad Cox, 30-1); #24 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (15-1)

          Overall, there are five new wagering interests in Pool 5: Teruya Yoshida’s $1 million UAE Derby (GII) winner Crown Pride (JPN); Aaron Sones’ $1 million Rebel (GII) runner-up Ethereal Road; SF Racing, Starlight Racing , Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Jay Schoenfarber , Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm’s $200,000 Robert B. Lewis (GIII) winner Messier; and Michael Hilary and Negar Burke’s UAE Derby runner-up Summer Is Tomorrow.

          KDFW interests Early Voting (Wood Memorial), Ethereal Road (Blue Grass), Forbidden Kingdom (Santa Anita Derby), In Due Time (Blue Grass or Wood Memorial), Messier (Santa Anita Derby), Mo Donegal (Wood Memorial), Morello (Wood Memorial), Smile Happy (Blue Grass) and Zandon (Blue Grass) are all expected to enter Saturday’s Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series races.

          A reminder: Pool 5 will close Saturday at 4:30 p.m. before the first Championship Series race.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) at odds that could be far greater and more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 148 ^th running of Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 7 at Churchill Downs.  

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 or Oaks, 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.