Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Field slight choice over Mohaymen

The mutuel field was a lukewarm favorite over Mohaymen when Pool 2 in the 2016 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday.

The field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed at 5-2, followed closely by Mohaymen at 4-1. Then came Nyquist (7-1), Mor Spirit (12-1), Brody’s Cause (15-1), Airoforce (16-1), Smokey Image (19-1), and Exaggerator (22-1).

No individual wagering interest has ever been favored over the field in a February pool since Churchill Downs first began offering parimutuel futures in 1999.

Combined handle in Pool 2, which closed Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern after a three-day wagering window, was $441,209, with $321,925 bet to win and $119,284 in exactas. That was down less than 2 percent from the corresponding pool in 2015, when a combined $448,958 was bet.

The record handle for a single pool is $631,304, set in February 2012. The highest aggregate for a year is $1,665,990, set in 2005.

The lowest $2 exacta will-pay is the field over Mohaymen (24-15), worth $48.20. 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.

Pool 1, in which the field closed as the 3-5 favorite, ran Nov. 26-29. After 11 weeks passed, 13 horses were displaced by new names as individual interests for Pool 2.

Pool 3 is set for March 11-13 and Pool 4 for April 1-3. A Kentucky Oaks pool is offered concurrent to Pool 3.

(Program No., Horse, Trainer, Pool 1 odds, Pool 2 odds)

1. Airoforce, M.Casse, 18-1, 16-1

2. Awesome Banner, S.Gold, *3-5, 53-1

3. Brody’s Cause, D.Romans, 21-1, 15-1

4. Cherry Wine, D.Romans, *3-5, 31-1

5. Cocked and Loaded, L.Rivelli, 65-1, 96-1

6. Collected, B.Baffert, *3-5, 50-1

7. Danzing Candy, C.Sise, *3-5, 28-1

8. Discreetness, W.Fires, *3-5, 72-1

9. Exaggerator, K.Desormeaux, 25-1, 22-1

10. Gettysburg, T.Pletcher, *3-5, 72-1

11. Gift Box, C.Brown, 47-1, 59-1

12. Greenpointcrusader, D.Schettino, 28-1, 31-1

13. Gun Runner, S.Asmussen, 57-1, 25-1

14. Mo Tom, T.Amoss, *3-5, 28-1

15. Mohaymen, K.McLaughlin, 11-1, 4-1

16. Mor Spirit, B.Baffert, 31-1, 12-1

17. Nyquist, D.O’Neill, 9-1, 7-1

18. Shagaf, C.Brown, *3-5, 32-1

19. Smokey Image, C.Gaines, *3-5, 19-1

20. Tom’s Ready, D.Stewart, *3-5, 83-1

21. Vorticity, J.Lawrence, *3-5, 102-1

22. Whitmore, R.Moquett, *3-5, 81-1

23. Zulu, T.Pletcher, *3-5, 24-1

24. Mutuel field (all other 3-year-olds), 3-5, 5-2

Win handle, $321,925

Exacta handle, $119,284

Total handle, $441,209

* – denotes mutuel field entry in Pool 1.