Five new horses added for Pool 4 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Five new names are in the lineup for the fourth pool in the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern for the customary three-day run.
With Churchill Downs having postponed the 146th Derby from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, circumstances clearly are much different for Pool 4 than in prior years. Churchill officials told the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on March 17 that the company most likely will offer two more futures pools in July and August toward the rescheduled Derby and that wagers into the first three pools will be “honored,” with refunds unavailable.
The new names for Pool 4 are Excession, King Guillermo, Mischevious Alex, Ny Traffic, and Shivaree.
Gone from Pool 3 are Chance It, Independence Hall, Royal Act, Silver Prospector, and Spa City.
Win and exacta wagering are available, with odds and will-pays locked in only when the pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
There are no Derby preps scheduled for this weekend following the cancellation of the Blue Grass Stakes and the postponement of the Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby.
In 2019, combined handle on Pool 4 was $500,406. Country House, the eventual winner, was part of the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, which was dismissed at 19-1.
This year, the field can be expected to garner far greater support in Pool 4, given all the change that can occur with still five months until the Derby is run. Accordingly, Churchill oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has listed the field as the 5-2 favorite, followed by Nadal (6-1), Tiz the Law (6-1), Authentic (8-1), Charlatan (8-1), and Honor A. P. (12-1).
The field closed as the favorite in all three previous pools toward the 2020 Derby. Pool 1 was held Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, Pool 2 from Feb. 7-9, and Pool 3 from March 6-8.
Aggregate handle for the first three pools (not including the Sires future wager or Kentucky Oaks futures) stands at $1,306,890. The record aggregate for the four Derby pools is $1,893,353, set in 2018.
In the case of field horses filling both exacta slots, the next-best finish by a separately listed horse will count toward the winning combination.
A Tuesday release by Churchill said a new schedule of qualifying-points races toward the Derby “will be announced in the coming weeks” as separate discussions continue with the other tracks and governments involved in such planning.
| Horse | Trainer | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | |
| 1. | Authentic | B. Baffert | 50-1 | 15-1 | 6-1 | 8-1 |
| 2. | Basin | S. Asmussen | 38-1 | 39-1 | 38-1 | 30-1 |
| 3. | Charlatan | B. Baffert | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 12-1 | 8-1 |
| 4. | Enforceable | M. Casse | 1-1(f) | 29-1 | 23-1 | 50-1 |
| 5. | Ete Indien | P. Biancone | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 16-1 | 20-1 |
| 6. | Excession | S. Asmussen | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 4-1(f) | 20-1 |
| 7. | Gouverneur Morris | T. Pletcher | 29-1 | 32-1 | 26-1 | 30-1 |
| 8. | Honor A.P. | J. Shirreffs | 25-1 | 24-1 | 14-1 | 12-1 |
| 9. | King Guillermo | J. Avila | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 4-1(f) | 20-1 |
| 10. | Major Fed | G. Foley | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 42-1 | 50-1 |
| 11. | Max Player | L. Rice | 1-1(f) | 49-1 | 71-1 | 50-1 |
| 12. | Maxfield | B. Walsh | 13-1 | 13-1 | 15-1 | 20-1 |
| 13. | Mischevious Alex | J. Servis | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 4-1(f) | 30-1 |
| 14. | Modernist | B. Mott | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 35-1 | 50-1 |
| 15. | Nadal | B. Baffert | 1-1(f) | 8-1 | 10-1 | 6-1 |
| 16. | Ny Traffic | S. Joseph, Jr. | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 4-1(f) | 50-1 |
| 17. | Shivaree | R. Nicks | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 4-1(f) | 50-1 |
| 18. | Sole Volante | P. Biancone | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 20-1 | 30-1 |
| 19. | Storm the Court | P. Eurton | 41-1 | 30-1 | 60-1 | 50-1 |
| 20. | Thousand Words | B. Baffert | 34-1 | 16-1 | 34-1 | 30-1 |
| 21. | Three Technique | J. Englehart | 39-1 | 36-1 | 29-1 | 50-1 |
| 22. | Tiz the Law | B. Tagg | 11-1 | 8-1 | 7-1 | 6-1 |
| 23. | Wells Bayou | B. Cox | 1-1(f) | 2-1(f) | 62-1 | 30-1 |
| 24. | Mutuel field | 1-1 | 2-1 | 4-1 | 5-2 |