Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Game Winner closed at 5-1 in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. (Photo credit Breeders’ Cup Ltd. Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM)
With the Kentucky Derby still 23 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Game Winner was the clear 5-1 second choice.
Other horses that attracted the most interest from bettors were impressive debut winner Coliseum (10-1), unbeaten Best Pal (GII) winner Instagrand (10-1), Street Sense winner Improbable (17-1) and Champagne (GI) runner-up Code of Honor (18-1). Game Winner, Coliseum and Improbable are trained by five-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert.
Total handle for the Nov. 22-25 KDFW pool – the first of four scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on Saturday, May 4 – was $258,389 ($186,470 in the Win pool and $71,919 in Exactas), which was a 3.2% increase from last year’s $250,259 ($177,103 in the Win pool and $73,156 in Exactas).
Inaugurated in 1999, the Kentucky Derby Future Wager has been offered for a 21st consecutive year, but this marks only the sixth time that Churchill Downs has hosted a KDFW pool in November on closing weekend of its Fall Meet.
Check out US Racing for the latest updated Kentucky Derby odds.
Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager
This year’s early Derby betting menu also included the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which, for the fourth consecutive year, provided 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.
“All Other Sires” and Tapit attracted the most attention from bettors. “All Other Sires” closed as the 9-2 favorite, while and Tapit, the sire of Coliseum and Magic On Tap, was 6-1. Also, close behind were Candy Ride (ARG), the sire of Game Winner and Nashua (GIII) victor Vekoma, and Into Mischief, sire of Instagrand and unbeaten Maximus Mischief, who both closed at odds of 7-1.
Final Odds for Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1:
| Horse |
ML ODDS | FINAL ODDS | PAYOUTS |
| Cairo Cat | 30-1 | 59-1 | $120.80 |
| Code of Honor | 20-1 | 18-1 | $39.40 |
| Coliseum | 15-1 | 10-1 | $22.20 |
| Dunph | 30-1 | 72-1 | $146.20 |
| Epic Dreamer | 50-1 | 88-1 | $178.80 |
| Game Winner | 8-1 | 5-1 | $13.80 |
| Gunmetal Gray | 30-1 | 76-1 | $154.00 |
| Improbable | 10-1 | 17-1 | $36.20 |
| Instagrand | 10-1 | 10-1 | $23.60 |
| King for a Day | 50-1 | 53-1 | $109.40 |
| Knicks Go | 20-1 | 44-1 | $91.20 |
| Magic On Tap | 30-1 | 43-1 | $89.20 |
| Maximus Mischief | 30-1 | 26-1 | $55.20 |
| Mucho | 50-1 | 44-1 | $90.20 |
| Mucho Gusto | 20-1 | 47-1 | $97.80 |
| Network Effect | 30-1 | 59-1 | $120.60 |
| Preamble | 50-1 | 99-1 | $237.80 |
| Roadster | 30-1 | 32-1 | $66.60 |
| Signalman | 50-1 | 30-1 | $63.00 |
| Tale of the Union | 30-1 | 46-1 | $95.40 |
| Uncle Benny | 50-1 | 53-1 | $109.80 |
| Vekoma | 30-1 | 36-1 | $74.00 |
| All 3-Year-Old Fillies | 30-1 | 66-1 | $135.00 |
| All other 3-Year-Old Colts & Geldings | 7-5 | 6-5 | $4.60 |
