Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Journalism a heavy favorite on morning line for fifth pool

Journalism, the highly rated winner of the San Felipe Stakes on March 1 at Santa Anita in his first start of 2025, has been tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for this weekend’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool, the fifth to be offered prior to this year’s Derby.

Journalism beat odds-on favorite Barnes in the San Felipe by 1 3/4 lengths and earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure, tops of the year for a 3-year-old. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism is being pointed to the Santa Anita Derby on April 5 as his next start prior to the Kentucky Derby.

The 3-1 morning line suggests an extraordinary level of support for that performance. Last year, Sierra Leone, the favorite in the fifth edition of the Future Wager, ended up 7-1.

The second choice on the morning line for this weekend’s wager is Sovereignty, winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 1 at Gulfstream in Florida. Third up is Barnes, at 6-1, followed by Citizen Bull, at 8-1. The “all other 3-year-olds” entry is listed at 12-1.

Churchill Downs also will offer the first and only Kentucky Oaks Future Wager this weekend, with the undefeated filly Good Cheer listed at 3-1.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2025: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

Both pools will open at noon Friday. The Derby pool will close at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, while the Oaks pool will close at 6:30 p.m. Both pools offer win and exacta wagering. There also is a separate Oaks/Derby Future Double linking selections in both races.

All told, there are 16 new horses in this weekend’s Derby pool compared to the entries in pool 4.

Three of the horses listed individually in this weekend’s Future Wager – Getaway Car, John Hancock, and Rapture – have been entered in the $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, a 1 1/8-mile race that awards 50 points to the winner toward qualifying for this year’s Derby field. However, trainer Brad Cox has said that he plans to scratch stakes winner John Hancock but allow his other entry, the maiden winner Rapture, to take a shot at the points.

Getaway Car, winner of the Sunland Derby in his last start, is expected to go off favored in the Virginia Derby. He’s listed at 40-1 on the morning line for the future wager, a number that will surely be impacted by his performance this weekend.

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