Future Wagering

Future Betting in horse racing can be great fun. Trying to find the Kentucky Derby winner in March, or the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner in August, can be challenging and rewarding.

There are two types of Kentucky Derby Future bets. One is the three pools conducted by Churchill Downs with 23 betting interests. The wagering starts on a Thursday and runs through Sunday of that weekend. The prices close on Sunday and you don’t know your final odds until the wagering closes. It is basically a pari-mutuel futures wagering pool.

It can be tricky to find real value with just 24 betting interests (23 individual horses and the 24th is the field or remaining horses). But Barbaro did pay handsomely last year. Those backing the colt in the first pool received a $40.20 payoff for a $2 wager. In Pool 2 he paid $32.20, and in Pool 3 he returned $20.80.

On Derby Day the colt returned $14.20.

Where to Bet Futures

The better way to play horse racing futures is either going offshore or heading to Las Vegas to the sportsbook. Instead of having just 24 betting interests, some racebooks have hundreds of three-year-olds listed. You can shop around between the books for the best price, and once you punch your ticket your price is locked in.

Futures for the Breeders’ Cup start popping up in late summer and once again if you shop around for the best prices you can usually find value in just about every race.

The one downside to betting on the futures is that a portion of your wagering bankroll is tied up for weeks or months.

PlayUp Racebook is your best bet! Sign up today and receive up to a $250 Deposit Bonus and great Wager Rewards!

And there are no guarantees your horse even makes it to the starting gate. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters and you can see your futures horse not make it to the starting gate due to an injury or just a lack of graded stakes winnings. Or a lack of talent.

There are no refunds. If your horse does not make the race, you can rip up your ticket before the gate opens.

When playing the Futures, make sure you look for value. There really is no reason to tie up your betting dollars unless you can uncover a promising runner that you can get at very attractive odds.

Horse Racing Betting Explained

NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

No. Horse Points
1 Flightline 351
2 Life Is Good 306
3 Olympiad 292
4 Jackie's Warrior 282
5 Clairiere 142
5 Country Grammer 142
7 Epicenter 121
8 Regal Glory 89
9 Nest 87
10 Hot Rod Charlie 48
As of August 1, 2022


DRF Past Performances



Check out the most powerful
interactive Past Performances
used by Michael Dempsey. Use the code TENOFF19 which gives
you a 10% discount on any DRF Formulator plan that is one month or longer.


drf


Free Horse Racing Picks

Get free horse racing picks each day from expert race handicapper Michael Dempsey Click Here


Belmont Stakes News & Reports
Breeders' Cup
Turf ‘n’ Sport handicapper Michael Dempsey has the Belmont Stakes covered with his selections, analysis and fair odds for every race on the card!
Wager on the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes News

Belmont Stakes Reports

Horse Racing Betting Tips

Horse Racing Betting Tips
Turf 'n' Sport handicappers give out basic horse racing handicapping information..