Journalism favored as Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool closes

Journalism, the almost-certain favorite for the May 3 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, closed as the 5-1 favorite in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool just hours before significantly boosting his credentials with a troubled-trip win in the Santa Anita Derby later on Saturday.

Journalism won his fourth consecutive race in the Santa Anita Derby, and paid $4 to win on Saturday. He also closed as the 5-1 favorite in the prior Future Wager pool, and he will likely be a solid favorite in the Kentucky Derby as long as he makes the race.

The sixth and final Future Wager Pool opened on Thursday and closed at 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, prior to the weekend’s major Derby preps, the Santa Anita Derby and Wood Memorial.

Two other horses who ran in the Santa Anita Derby finished in the top six choices in the Future Wager pool, but both ran poorly in the five-horse race. Citizen Bull closed at 8-1 but ran fourth, while Barnes, who closed at 16-1, ran last.

Baeza, who ran second in the Santa Anita Derby but has only a maiden win to his credit, closed at 53-1. It’s unclear if Baeza has enough Derby qualifying points to make the field.

On the East Coast, Rodriguez won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct two hours after the pool closed. Rodriguez closed at 62-1 in the Future Wager pool. Grande, the Wood second-place finisher, was not listed as an individual entry and will be included in the “all others entry,” which closed at 26-1. Captain Cook, the Wood favorite who finished fourth, closed at 34-1.

Saturday’s schedule was also supposed to settle who would emerge as the leading Derby candidate from the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Kentucky, but torrential, persistent rainfall throughout Kentucky since early Thursday morning led the track to move the Saturday card to Tuesday.

Win and exacta betting were offered on all six Future Wager pools held since the fall of last year.

According to Churchill Downs Inc., which administers the Future Wager pools, total handle for the final Future Wager pools was up 28.5 percent. Including all pools held since last year, including the Oaks Future Wager and Derby Sire Future Wager, total handle was up 13.6 percent, CDI said.

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