Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2: Field (3-1) slight favorite over Union Rags (4-1)

Barbara D. Livingston

One week after impressively winning the Fountain of Youth, Union Rags closed at 4-1 in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field closed as a slight 3-1 favorite over the top individually listed option, Union Rags, when Pool 2 of the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Union Rags, an impressive winner of the Fountain of Youth in his seasonal debut Feb. 26, was the 4-1 second choice, followed by Hansen (9-1), El Padrino (12-1), Creative Cause (17-1), Alpha (18-1), Fed Biz (22-1), and I’ll Have Another (22-1). Out of Bounds, who closed at 23-1, broke down Monday morning and is off the Triple Crown trail.

Win handle was $299,574, and the exacta drew another $111,794, yielding a combined handle of $401,368, sixth-highest for a Pool 2 in the 14 years of parimutuel futures offered by Churchill Downs. Last year, combined handle on Derby Pool 2 was $376,699.

The lowest $2 exacta will-pays were the combinations of Union Rags over the field (23-24), worth $56.80, and its reverse (24-23), worth $57.60.

The field, the 24th or “all others” option, has been the Pool 2 favorite in most years since Churchill began the futures in 1999. Last year, Uncle Mo was slightly favored over the field, although ultimately a Pool 2 field horse, Animal Kingdom, won the Derby.

The record for a Pool 2 handle of $511,655 was set in 2005, when the aggregate handle of $1,665,990 also was set. After a record Pool 1 handle of $631,304, the two-pool total for 2012 stands at $1,032,672.

Sunday handle on Pool 2 was $220,300, after a total of $181,068 was bet Friday and Saturday. Sundays typically draw more than the two prior days combined as odds become closer to being locked in and prep races from that particular weekend become known.

The field closed as the 3-2 favorite in Pool 2, which ran Feb. 10-12, with Union Rags the 7-1 second choice.

Meanwhile, the field also was favored in the only futures pool being offered this year on the Kentucky Oaks. The Oaks pool, which closed 30 minutes after the Derby futures, drew $63,960 in win wagers and $28,516 in exactas for a total of $92,476. The field closed as the 4-1 choice, followed by Princess Arabella (6-1), Grace Hall (8-1), Eden’s Moon (9-1), Zo Impressive (12-1), and On Fire Baby (13-1). The lowest $2 exacta will-pay was Grace Hall over the field (10-24), worth $65.40. Last year, combined handle on the Oaks was $92,903.

The 138th Oaks and Derby will be run May 4 and 5, respectively. Derby Pool 3 is set for March 30 to April 1.

2012 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Odds