Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins Nov. 28

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs has released the dates for the 2015 Kentucky Derby Future Wager and once again will offer Pool 1 during the final weekend of the current fall meet while also reverting to a Friday-to-Sunday wagering window.

These are the dates for the four futures pools toward the 141st Kentucky Derby on May 2: Pool 1, Nov. 28-30; Pool 2, Feb. 6-8; Pool 3, Feb. 27 to March 1; and Pool 4, March 27-29.

Churchill offered a November pool for the first time last fall, and it was neither a financial nor artistic success. Combined win and exacta handle was $273,174, the lowest for a futures pool since 2003. Moreover, only one of the 23 separately listed choices, Ride On Curlin, wound up competing in the Derby five months later. That resulted in a win payoff of just $3.60 (for $2) on the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, and a $2 exacta worth $203 on the 24-18 combination of the field over Ride On Curlin, who finished seventh.

Churchill experimented with a Thursday-to-Saturday schedule for all four pools for the 2014 Derby, with bets having to be placed prior to the major Saturday features being run. The aggregate handle for four pools was $1,324,466, down 7.4 percent from 2013, the most recent year for just three pools. The aggregate handle record of $1,665,990 was set in 2005.

This will be the 17th year for the Future Wager. A single Kentucky Oaks futures pool will run concurrent with the Feb. 27 to March 1 Derby pool.