Fierceness strong Kentucky Derby favorite as Future Wager pool closes

Fierceness, the runaway winner of the March 30 Florida Derby, emerged as the strong favorite in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool, settling at 5-2.

The final future wager closed on Saturday afternoon prior to the running of three major preps for the Kentucky Derby, so the prices of the pool do not reflect the performances of the horses in those races, including Sierra Leone’s victory from well off the pace in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

Sierra Leone, who won the Blue Grass at odds of 3-2, was the second choice at the close of the pool, at 7-1, while Forever Young, the unbeaten Japanese horse who won the UAE Derby in Dubai in his final start before the Derby, was 8-1.

Several horses who were expected to move forward on Saturday in their final preps for the Derby faltered, including Deterministic, who faded badly in the Wood Memorial and finished eighth but still has enough points to make the Derby field. Deterministic closed as the fourth choice in the future wager at 12-1. Dornoch, who also closed at 12-1, ran fourth in the Blue Grass but has enough points to get into the Derby field.

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Catching Freedom, who won the Louisiana Derby in his previous start on March 23, also closed at 12-1.

The longshot winner of Saturday’s Wood Memorial, Resilience, closed at 76-1 in the future wager, while Stronghold, who won the Santa Anita Derby late on Saturday at 2-1, closed at 30-1.

A total of $2.05 million was bet on Derby and Kentucky Oaks future wager pools this year, according to Churchill Downs, up 13 percent over the total last year of $1.81 million. Win betting and exacta betting was allowed.

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