Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Field 6-5 as final day begins

The mutuel field was still a big favorite following the second of three days of wagering into Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opened Thursday.

As of Saturday morning, and with $124,673 in the win pool, the field – the 24th or “all others” option – was the 6-5 favorite, followed by Shared Belief (12-1), Honor Code (15-1), Cairo Prince (15-1), Top Billing (17-1), Strong Mandate (18-1), and Midnight Hawk (22-1).

Pool 2 closes today at 6 p.m. Eastern, well before scheduled post time (7 p.m. Eastern) for the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. The Lewis is the only prep race with Derby points (10 to the winner) this weekend.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Pool 1 was offered in late November, with the field closing as the 4-5 favorite. Pool 3 will run Feb. 27-March 1 and Pool 4 from March 27-29. A single Kentucky Oaks futures pool will be offered concurrent to Derby Pool 3.

Real-time odds and exacta will-pays are available on selected monitors at tracks and wagering outlets where futures are offered, as well as on kentuckyderby.com.

Minimum wagers are $2 to win and $2 for exactas, although $1 boxes or part-wheels may be used to reach that $2 exacta minimum.

As with any parimutuel wager, odds are not locked in until the pool closes. There are no refunds.

This is the 16th year for the future wager, first offered in 1999. Exacta wagering was added in 2009. 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.

Results are predicated on the 140th Derby at Churchill on May 3.