Kentucky Derby: Verrazano morning-line favorite for Pool 3 of Future Wager

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Six new horses are in the lineup of 23 separately listed wagering interests and Verrazano is a lukewarm morning-line favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens its customary three-day run Friday at noon Eastern.

Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia has listed Verrazano as the 7-2 choice for Pool 3, with the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, next at 6-1.

The new horses for Pool 3 are Hear the Ghost, Java’s War, Mr Palmer, Noble Tune, War Academy, and Will Take Charge. The displaced horses from Pool 2 are Delhomme, Dynamic Sky, Ive Struck a Nerve, Super Ninety Nine, Titletown Five, and Treasury Bill.

Will Take Charge, upset winner of the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park last weekend, was 61-1 in Pool 1 and was among the field horses for Pool 2.

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

Pool 3 comes three weeks after Pool 2 (March 1-3), which in turn was held three weeks after Pool 1 (Feb. 8-10). In a more typical year, Churchill would have scheduled the third pool for next weekend, but the Easter holiday on March 31 made that unfeasible. The 139th Derby will be run May 4.

The field closed as the 3-2 favorite in Pool 1 and the 3-1 favorite in Pool 2. Verrazano was the second choice, and top separate interest, in both pools (11-1 and 9-1). Since Pool 2, Verrazano added an impressive victory in the Tampa Bay Derby to his unbeaten record.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who had seven wagering interests among the 23 listed for Pool 1 and six for Pool 2, has five in Pool 3, led by Verrazano. Bob Baffert also has five in this pool.

With Pool 3 closing Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern, bettors can consider the result of the first Derby prep this weekend, the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on Saturday. However, the second prep of the weekend, the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park, will be run well after the pool has closed, with post time set for 7:40 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. As with any parimutuel wager, odds are not locked in until the pool closes.

The only Pool 3 horse in the Spiral is Uncaptured, and for the Sunland Derby, the only prospect is Shakin It Up.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS LEADER BOARD

Pool 2 drew a combined win and exacta handle of $407,038, the fourth-highest for a Pool 2 since Churchill began offering parimutuel futures in 1999. 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.

Lineups for all future wagers are chosen by John Asher of Churchill Downs, Ed DeRosa of Brisnet, and Brad Free and Mike Watchmaker of Daily Racing Form.

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 and kentuckyoaks.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.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3:

No., Horse, Pool 1 odds, Pool 2 odds, Pool 3 M/L
1. Code West, 56-1, 28-1, 30-1
2. Den’s Legacy, 77-1, 68-1, 50-1
3. Falling Sky, 114-1, 79-1, 50-1
4. Flashback, 12-1, 12-1, 12-1
5. Goldencents, 20-1, 24-1, 30-1
6. Hear the Ghost, 3-2(f), 3-1(f), 20-1
7. Itsmyluckyday, 13-1, 13-1, 10-1
8. Java’s War, 3-2(f), 3-1(f), 30-1
9. Mr Palmer, 3-2(f), 3-1(f), 50-1
10. Noble Tune, 3-2(f), 3-1(f), 30-1
11. Normandy Invasion, 15-1, 17-1, 20-1
12. Orb, 3-2(f), 12-1, 10-1
13. Overanalyze, 33-1, 37-1, 30-1
14. Oxbow, 26-1, 31-1, 20-1
15. Palace Malice, 3-2(f), 40-1, 50-1
16. Revolutionary, 13-1, 15-1, 15-1
17. Shakin It Up, 3-2(f), 48-1, 30-1
18. Shanghai Bobby, 14-1, 16-1, 15-1
19. Uncaptured, 40-1, 35-1, 20-1
20. Verrazano, 11-1, 9-1, 7-2
21. Vyjack, 49-1, 11-1, 10-1
22. War Academy, 3-2(f), 3-1(f), 30-1
23. Will Take Charge, 61-1, 3-1(f), 20-1
24. Field (all others), 3-2, 3-1, 6-1
(f) – Field entry