Kentucky Derby: Dime superfectas on wagering menu

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Unlike in past years, when a $1 minimum for superfecta wagers was in effect for all races on the Kentucky Oaks and Derby cards, Churchill this year will be offering 10-cent superfectas on all Sept. 4-5 races.

The logic behind the former policy was that dime supers could cause logjams at wagering windows both at the track and at simulcast outlets. Theoretically, dime-super bettors would spend more time calling out numerous combinations that could create long delays at mutuel windows at brick-and-mortar facilities.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

But with the coronavirus pandemic limiting attendance here and elsewhere, and with the vast majority of handle being generated through online account wagering, the track is offering dime supers “for obvious reasons,” said track spokesman Kevin Kerstein.

Churchill first offered a superfecta on the Derby in 1996. The largest payoff for the $1 increment was $864,253, when Giacomo won the 2005 running at 50-1.

A 99-1 shot, finally?

It’s been nearly 20 years since a Derby starter was 99-1 on the Churchill toteboard – but will that drought finally end this year?

Tiz the Law is expected to be in the even-money range when the Derby is run Saturday, making him one of the heaviest favorites in years. With Art Collector and Honor A. P. among those also sure to attract strong support, the odds on at least one outsider, if not more, could reach into triple digits. Probably the most logical candidate for that dubious honor is Winning Impression, although Finnick the Fierce, Necker Island, and Mr. Big News also will be big odds.

The last time a Derby starter was triple-digit odds was 2001, when Startac ran 10th at 102-1 and Arctic Boy was 12th at 101-1.

One thing is certain: The record for highest Derby odds is safe once again. A horse named A Dragon Killer was an astronomical 294-1 when finishing seventh behind Tim Tam in the 1958 Run for the Roses.