Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 has 14 new horses; betting begins Friday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eight weeks after the first pool was held, no fewer than 14 new names are in the 23-horse lineup for Pool 2 of the 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern for the customary three-day run.

The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, has been pegged as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Pool 2 by Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia, with Life Is Good the shortest individually listed interest at 6-1. Life Is Good is one of five Pool 2 horses trained by Bob Baffert, who will be trying for a record-breaking seventh Derby victory when the Run for the Roses is held May 1 at Churchill Downs for the 147th time.

Next in the Pool 2 morning line are Essential Quality (8-1), Medina Spirit (12-1), Concert Tour (15-1), with all others listed at 20-1 or higher.

The new names for Pool 2 are Bezos, Capo Kane, Concert Tour, Greatest Honour, Mandaloun, Medina Spirit, Mutasaabeq, Olympiad, Prate, Prime Factor, Proxy, Senor Buscador, Spielberg, and Wipe the Slate.

Pool 1 individuals not in the field for Pool 2 are Dr. Schivel, Get Her Number, King Fury, Pickin’ Time, Red Flag, Reinvestment Risk, Rombauer, Savile Row, Scarred, Sittin On Go, Speaker’s Corner, Super Stock, and Ten for Ten. A “filly only” option was exclusive to Pool 1 as No. 23.

Win and exacta wagering are available, with odds and will-pays locked in only when the pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2021: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

The Smarty Jones Stakes on Friday at Oaklawn Park is the only Derby qualifying-points prep to be held concurrent with Pool 2. Caddo River is the only separately listed Pool 2 horse in the field.

This is the 23rd year that Churchill has offered parimutuel futures. The field has closed as the favorite every year in a pool held at this time of year. Last year, the field closed at 2-1 in Pool 2, while the eventual Derby winner, Authentic, was 15-1.

Toward the 2021 Derby, the field closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 1, which was held Nov. 26-29 in tandem with the Derby Sires Future Wager. Combined Pool 1 handle was $249,331, with another $47,567 bet in the sires wager.

Five pools are scheduled this year. Pool 3 is set for Feb. 12-14, Pool 4 for March 5-7, and Pool 5 for March 26-28. The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Pool 4.

Churchill had offered four futures pools in recent years, although there were seven pools toward the 2020 Derby because of the race being postponed from May to September due to the coronavirus pandemic. Authentic was one of just four horses to be separately listed in all seven pools.

The record for handle in a single pool is $631,304, set in 2012. Total handle in Pool 2 last year was $590,911, up 10.7 percent from the corresponding 2019 pool.

The record futures payoff for a $2 win bet was set on Funny Cide ($188) in the second of three pools in 2003.

Real-time odds and will-pays are available through various modes, including on television monitors at tracks and wagering outlets, as well as at kentuckyderby.com.

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.

Composition of the futures lineups is decided by an in-house Churchill panel.

2021 Kentucky Derby Pool 2
No., Horse, Trainer, Pool 1 odds, Pool 2 M/L

1. Bezos, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 20-1

2. Caddo River, B. Cox, 27-1, 30-1

3. Capo Kane, H. Wyner, 6-5(f), 30-1

4. Concert Tour, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 15-1

5. Essential Quality, B. Cox, 8-1, 8-1

6. Fire At Will, M. Maker, 30-1, 30-1

7. Greatest Honour, S. McGaughey, 6-5(f), 50-1

8. Highly Motivated, C. Brown, 18-1, 20-1

9. Hot Rod Charlie, D. O’Neill, 34-1, 30-1

10. Jackie’s Warrior, S. Asmussen, 18-1, 20-1

11. Keepmeinmind, R. Diodoro, 19-1, 20-1

12. Life Is Good, B. Baffert, 5-1, 6-1

13. Mandaloun, B. Cox, 6-5(f), 20-1

14. Medina Spirit, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 12-1

15. Midnight Bourbon, S. Asmussen, 59-1, 30-1

16. Mutasaabeq, T. Pletcher, 6-5(f), 30-1

17. Olympiad, W. Mott, 6-5(f), 50-1

18. Prate, B. Cox, 6-5(f), 30-1

19. Prime Factor, T. Pletcher, 6-5(f), 30-1

20. Proxy, M. Stidham, 6-5(f), 50-1

21. Senor Buscador, T. Fincher, 6-5(f), 20-1

22. Spielberg, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 30-1

23. Wipe the Slate, D. O’Neill, 6-5(f), 50-1

24. Mutuel field, n/a, 6-5, 9-5

(f) – Mutuel field