Declan's Moon, field co-favorites in Pool 2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Five new horses are among the 23 separately listed interests in Pool 2 of the , which opens for the customary four-day run Thursday at noon Eastern at tracks and wagering sites throughout the United States.
The new names for Pool 2 are Don't Get Mad, Fusaichi Rock Star, Golden Shine, Noble Causeway, and Scipion. They replace horses who were separate interests in Pool 1: Closing Argument, Harlington, Rush Bay, Texcess, and Storm Surge.
Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has listed Declan's Moon and the mutuel field as the 5-1 co-favorites on his morning line for Pool 2. The field, the 24th or "all others" betting option, closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 1, which ran Feb. 10-13, while Declan's Moon was the second choice at 9-1. Since then, Declan's Moon won the Santa Catalina last weekend in impressive fashion in his 3-year-old debut.
Battaglia has listed two colts who also won Derby prep races last weekend - Afleet Alex and High Fly - as the co-third choices at 10-1 each. They are followed by Rockport Harbor at 12-1, and Bandini and Fusaichi Rock Star at 15-1 each.
Only one major Derby prep, the Louisiana Derby on Saturday, will be run while Pool 2 is open.
Handle on Pool 1 was a record $620,362. The cumulative record for all three pools is $1,503,806, set in 2002. Churchill officials say they are optimistic that record will be broken this year, especially with the head start provided by the Pool 1 handle.
Meanwhile, Sweet Catomine, who is scheduled to make her second start of the year this weekend in the Santa Anita Oaks, is listed by Battaglia as the 4-1 morning-line favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. She is followed by the mutuel field and Sis City, the 6-1 co-second choices.
There are nine new fillies in Pool 2 for the Oaks: Amazing Buy, Eyes On Eddy, Isabell's Shoes, Letgomyecho, Little Money Down, Memorette, Satin Kiss, She Sings, and Toll Taker. They replace the following Pool 1 horses: Balletto, Culinary, Hot Attraction, Kota, More Moonlight, Play With Fire, Quiet Honor, Sense of Style, and The Beter Man Can.
Derby Pool 2 runs through 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The Oaks futures close a half-hour later, at 6:30.
The third and final pool for both the Oaks and Derby futures is set for April 7-10.
The futures are $2-minimum, win-only wagers predicated on the results of the Kentucky Oaks on May 6 and the Kentucky Derby on May 7.
Lineups for both future wagers were chosen by John Asher of Churchill Downs and Mike Watchmaker and Brad Free of Daily Racing Form.
DRF will publish past performances for all listed Derby horses in the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday editions this weekend, and PP's for all Oaks horses in the Sunday editions. Free PP downloads for the Derby and Oaks horses, as well as all 358 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, will be available on drf.com beginning Thursday.
2005 Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 Morning Line Odds
| Program | Horse Name | Odds*** |
| 1 | Afleet Alex | 10-1 |
| 2 | Bandini | 15-1 |
| 3 | Consolidator | 30-1 |
| 4 | Declan's Moon | 5-1 |
| 5 | Don't Get Mad* | 20-1 |
| 6 | Fusaichi Rock Star* | 15-1 |
| 7 | Galloping Grocer | 30-1 |
| 8 | Giacomo | 30-1 |
| 9 | Going Wild | 20-1 |
| 10 | Golden Shine* | 50-1 |
| 11 | Greater Good | 20-1 |
| 12 | High Fly | 10-1 |
| 13 | High Limit | 20-1 |
| 14 | Lost In The Fog** | 20-1 |
| 15 | Noble Causeway* | 20-1 |
| 16 | Proud Accolade | 20-1 |
| 17 | Rockport Harbor | 12-1 |
| 18 | Roman Ruler | 20-1 |
| 19 | Scipion* | 30-1 |
| 20 | Spanish Chestnut | 30-1 |
| 21 | Sun King | 20-1 |
| 22 | Sweet Catomine (f) | 20-1 |
| 23 | Wilko | 30-1 |
| 24 | All Other 3YO's | 5-1 |
* - new wagering interest in Pool 2
** - not currently nominated to Visa Triple Crown
***Morning Line by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia