San Felipe Winner Forbidden Kingdom Made 5-1 Overall Favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4

Mar 08, 2022

The fourth of five pools for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) is set for its three-day stand Friday-Sunday with MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm’s recent $400,000 San Felipe (Grade II) winner Forbidden Kingdom tabbed by veteran morning line oddsmaker Mike Battaglia as the 5-1 favorite in the field of 24 betting interests.

Pool 4 of the KDFW will run concurrently with the lone pool of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”). In addition to Win and Exacta betting, an Oaks/Derby Future Double is part of the wagering menu. The wagers will open Friday at noon (all times Eastern) and the KDFW will close Sunday at 6 p.m. while the KOFW will close 30 minutes later at 6:30 p.m. Betting on the KDFW and KOFW is available at simulcast centers around the country and ADW’s such as www.TwinSpires.com, the official platform for the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Incorporated.

In the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds’ brilliant filly Echo Zulu was made the 4-1 favorite in the field of 24 betting interests.

The speedy Forbidden Kingdom, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, was the even-money favorite in last Saturday’s San Felipe where he dominated six rivals by 5 ¾ lengths. The San Felipe, which serves as the local prep to the $1 million Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 9, was the first time Forbidden Kingdom was tested around two turns.

          Other top individual betting interests in Pool 4 of the KDFW appear to be Winchell Thoroughbreds ’ $400,000 Risen Star (GII) winner Epicenter (8-1); Tami Bobo ’s 3 ½-length winner of the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (GII) Simplification (12-1); and Lucky Seven Stable’s $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) hero Smile Happy (6-1), who closed as the 8-1 individual favorite in the first three pools of the KDFW.

          Overall, there are eight new interests in Pool 4: Whisper Hill Farm’s 8 ½-length maiden winner Charge It (30-1); Gold Square’s flashy allowance winner Cyberknife (50-1); Aaron Sones’ Rebel (GII) runner-up Ethereal Road (50-1); Diamond T Racing, Blue Lion Thoroughbreds and Craig Taylor’s $300,000 Gotham (GIII) winner Morello (10-1); Sumaya U.S. Stable’s Risen Star fourth-place finisher Pioneer of Medina (30-1); Iris Smith Stable’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis (GIII) runner-up Shipsational (50-1); Cypress Creek Equine’s $400,000 Rebel winner Un Ojo (50-1); and Barray and Joni Butzow’s undefeated Zozos (50-1).

          Here’s the complete Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 field (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 Barber Road (John Ortiz, 50-1); #2 Call Me Midnight (Keith Desormeaux, 50-1); #3 Charge It (Todd Pletcher, 30-1); #4 Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch, 15-1); #5 Cyberknife (Brad Cox, 50-1); #6 Early Voting (Chad Brown, 30-1); #7 Emmanuel (Pletcher, 15-1); #8 Epicenter (Steve Asmussen, 8-1); #9 Ethereal Road (D. Wayne Lukas, 50-1); #10 Forbidden Kingdom (Mandella, 5-1); #11 In Due Time (Kelly Breen, 30-1); #12 Major General (Pletcher, 50-1); #13 Mo Donegal (Pletcher, 12-1); #14 Morello (Asmussen, 10-1); #15 Pioneer of Medina (Pletcher, 30-1); #16 Rattle N Roll (Kenny McPeek, 20-1); #17 Shipsational (Ed Barker, 50-1); #18 Simplification (Antonio Sano, 12-1); #19 Smile Happy (McPeek, 6-1); #20 Un Ojo (Ricky Courville, 50-1); #21 White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph Jr., 15-1); #22 Zandon (Brown, 12-1); #23 Zozos (Cox, 50-1); and #24 “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (6-1).

          In the KOFW, Echo Zulu, trained by Steve Asmussen, is undefeated through four starts including a dominating 5 ¼-length victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI). The daughter of Gun Runner has been steadily training toward her 3-year-old debut at Fair Grounds.

          Another filly that is expected to garner betting interest is Briland Farm’s $300,000 Honeybee (GIII) winner Secret Oath (6-1). Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath has won her last three starts by a combined 23 lengths.  

Here’s the field for the KOFW (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 A Mo Reay (Todd Pletcher, 30-1); #2 Ain’t Easy (Phil D’Amato, 20-1); #3 Awake At Midnyte (Doug O’Neill, 20-1); #4 Bernabreezy (Matt Shirer, 50-1); #5 Bubble Rock (Brad Cox, 30-1); #6 Classy Edition (Pletcher, 15-1); #7 Echo Zulu (Asmussen, 4-1); #8 Fannie and Freddie (Al Stall Jr., 30-1); #9 Favor (Pletcher, 20-1); #10 Goddess of Fire (Pletcher, 20-1); #11 Hidden Connection (Bret Calhoun, 50-1); #12 Ice Orchid (John Ortiz, 50-1); #13 Juju’s Map (Cox, 10-1); #14 Kathleen O . (Shug McGaughey, 8-1); #15 Nest (Pletcher, 8-1); #16 Nostalgic (Bill Mott, 20-1); #17 Sandstone (Kenny McPeek, 15-1); #18 Secret Oath (Lukas, 6-1); #19 Shahama (Pletcher, 30-1); #20 Turnerloose (Cox, 15-1); #21 Venti Valentine (Jorge Abreu, 15-1); #22 Veterans Highway (Rusty Arnold, 50-1); #23 Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset, 50-1); and #24 “All Other 3-Year-Old Fillies ” (10-1).

The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) and $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (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. The Longines Kentucky Oaks will run one day earlier on Friday, May 6. 

There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby or Oaks 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 Friday online at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager.

Different from the first four pools of the KDFW, the fifth and final Pool 5 will run Thursday, March 31 and end prior to the first Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series race on Saturday, April 2.