Lovely Maria offered great value in Oaks Future Wager

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Larry Jones stablemates I’m a Chatterbox and Lovely Maria will be among the wagering favorites Friday in the 141st Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, but it wasn’t always that way.

In fact, when the only Oaks Future Wager pool of the 2015 season was held two months ago, I’m a Chatterbox was 6-1 – the lowest of all the separately listed interests – while Lovely Maria closed at 39-1, making her arguably the best “value” from a futures pool that ran Feb. 27 to March 1.

The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, was the 7-2 favorite in the Oaks pool, which drew a total handle (win and exacta) of $115,615. Among the 15 fillies actually entered for the Oaks, only four represent the field, although one of them obviously stands out: Stellar Wind, the program favorite for the filly classic. The other three field horses are longshots Include Betty, Money’soncharlotte, and the lone also-eligible, Peace and War.

Other notable closing odds in the Oaks futures included Condo Commando at 7-1, Birdatthewire at 12-1, and Shook Up at 62-1. The most conspicuous absentee from the starting gate is Take Charge Brandi, who was 7-1 in the futures.

Lucky 7 wager costs a dime

Trick question: How much fun would it be to make a life-changing score with a 10-cent superfecta on Oaks or Derby Day?

Answer: There are no dime supers on Churchill races on those days.

Owing to the way dime-super bettors might clog the mutuels lines among such huge crowds, Churchill raises its minimum on superfectas to $1 for those two days only. All other wagering minimums remain the same, including 50 cents on trifectas, pick threes, and pick fours.

There is, however, one dime-increment bet that’s new at the spring meet and will be offered this weekend: the “Lucky 7,” a seven-race wager with a carryover provision similar to what has been popularized at Gulfstream and other tracks. To sweep the jackpot, a winner must have the only perfect ticket. The Lucky 7 sequences will end with the Oaks on Friday and Derby on Saturday.