Churchill Downs: Six new horses added to Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Tom Keyser

Union Rags, shown romping to victory in his seasonal debut, last Sunday's Fountain of Youth, is 4-1 on the morning line for Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Six new horses are in the lineup of 23 separately listed wagering interests in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens its three-day run Friday at noon Eastern.

Pool 2 comes three weeks after Pool 1 drew a combined win and exacta handle of $631,304, the largest single-pool total since Churchill Downs first began offering parimutuel futures in 1999. Pool 2 coincides with the only futures pool being offered this year on the Kentucky Oaks. The Oaks and Derby are set for May 4 and 5, respectively.

New horses for Pool 2 are Bodemeister, Castaway, Mark Valeski, News Pending, Scatman, and Secret Circle. The displaced horses from Pool 1 are Algorithms, Discreet Dancer, Ever So Lucky, Junebugred, Longview Drive, and Mr. Bowling.

The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed at 3-2 in Pool 1, marking the 14th time in as many years that the field has been favored in the first pool. Union Rags closed as the 7-1 second choice.

Easily the most notable dropout from Pool 1 is Algorithms, the undefeated colt who has been withdrawn from the Triple Crown after suffering a minor splint injury last week. Algorithms was 12-1 in Pool 1, behind only the field and Union Rags.

For Pool 2, the field has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite by Churchill oddsmaker Mike Battaglia, although it’s conceivable that Union Rags, off his four-length victory last weekend in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, could close as the favorite. Union Rags is 4-1 on the morning line, followed by El Padrino and Fed Biz at 12-1, and the trio of Bodemeister, Hansen, and Secret Circle at 15-1. While the field typically closes as the favorite in Pool 2, occasionally a separately listed horse is favored, including Uncle Mo last year at 3-1.

The only major Derby prep to be run this weekend is the Gotham at Aqueduct on Saturday.

In the Kentucky Oaks futures, the field is listed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite, followed by Grace Hall at 10-1, Summer Applause at 12-1, and five fillies at 15-1. Conspicuous by their absences from the lineup of 23 are the reigning divisional champion, My Miss Aurelia, and Stephanie’s Kitten, winner the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall. My Miss Aurelia is being freshened and does not have a recorded workout this year and Stephanie’s Kitten is not nominated to the Oaks an is under consideration for a race in England this spring.

This is the second year that exacta wagering also will be available on the Oaks, with the pool closing 30 minutes after Derby Pool 2 closes Sunday. Handle last year on the single Oaks pool, which also coincided with Derby Pool 2, was $92,903.

Win wagers and exactas for all futures are $2 minimum, although a $1 exacta box or part-wheel wager can be made. No exactas using the 24-24 combination (field-field) are sold. In the case of field horses eventually occupying the top two spots, as happened last year with Derby Pool 1 and 2, the separately listed horse finishing highest will complete the exacta for purposes of that pool.

Including exactas, the 2011 Pool 2 handle was $376,699, well short of the Pool 2 record of $511,655 set in 2005.

For 2012 Pool 1, which ran Feb. 10-12, the win handle was $494,263 and exacta handle was $137,041, which combined to surpass the former record total of $620,362, set in 2005. Churchill officials said they were largely surprised but extremely happy with the record handle and that they are hopeful the surge in business continues.

Pool 3 is set for March 30 to April 1.

Lineups for all future wagers are chosen by John Asher of Churchill Downs and Brad Free and Mike Watchmaker of Daily Racing Form.

Win odds and exacta will-pays are available on selected monitors at tracks and wagering outlets where futures are offered, as well as on kentuckyderby.com and kentuckyoaks.com.

2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, Pool 2

2012 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Odds