Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Verrazano, field both 5-1 as Saturday betting begins

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Verrazano was a very slight favorite over the mutuel field after the first of three days of wagering into Pool 3 of the 2013 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opened Friday at noon Eastern.

Before wagering reopened Saturday, and with $41,052 in the win pool, Verrazano was the lukewarm 5-1 choice. The field, the 24th or “all others” option, also was 5-1, with just $244 less having been bet to win on it than Verrazano. They were followed by Itsmyluckyday (10-1), Hear the Ghost (12-1), Vyjack (12-1), Orb (17-1), and three more at 19-1. Another $18,426 had been bet into the exacta pool.

[KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER: Free DRF PPs for Pool 3]

The pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern. A substantial portion of the Pool 3 handle can be expected to come Sunday, when wagering typically more than doubles the two previous days combined. As with any parimutuel wager, odds are not locked in until the pool closes.

Just one separately listed Pool 3 horse, Uncaptured, is in the field Saturday for the Spiral Stakes at Turfway, and one, Shakin It Up, for the Sunland Derby on Sunday. However, the Sunland Derby will be run well after the pool has closed, with post time set for 7:40 p.m. Eastern.

This is the final pool in the 2013 Future Wager. Pool 1 was held Feb. 8-10 and Pool 2 March 1-3. The field closed as the 3-2 favorite in Pool 1 and the 3-1 choice in Pool 2. The two-pool aggregate for 2013 stands at $1,028,531, well short of the three-pool record of $1,665,990 set in 2005. The highest Pool 3 handle was $533,973, also in 2005.

Live streaming odds and exacta will-pays are available throughout the weekend on television monitors at tracks and wagering outlets and on kentuckyderby.com.

This is the 15th year Churchill Downs has offered parimutuel futures. Results are predicated on the 139th running of the Derby on May 4.