Mutuel field heavily favored in first Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, was a huge favorite as expected when the first of five pools in the 2022 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern following a four-day wagering window.

The field (No. 24) was the 3-5 favorite, with the lowest odds on a separately listed interest being 8-1 on Smile Happy, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes winner whose odds took a plunge Sunday after Jim McIngvale placed a $10,000 bet on him. McIngvale is widely known in the racing industry as a tireless promoter of Runhappy, his champion sprinter of 2015 and the sire of Smile Happy.

Next in line among the 22 separate interests in Pool 1 were Jack Christopher (10-1), Rattle N Roll (21-1), Pappacap (23-1), Tiz the Bomb (24-1), and Gunite (25-1). A “filly only” option (No. 23) closed at 41-1.

Since Churchill began offering parimutuel futures in 1999, the field has always been the favorite in the first pool. The odds were particularly low this year partly because all Bob Baffert trainees such as Corniche, Messier, Pinehurst, and Rockefeller were included in the field. Baffert has been banned by Churchill Downs from running horses in the Derby the next two years, a policy stemming from his 2021 winner, Medina Spirit, having tested positive for a medication overage.

All-sources handle on Pool 1 was $326,448, with $263,008 bet to win and $63,440 in exactas. The lowest $2 exacta will-pay is $58.60 for the field over Rattle N Roll (24-17).

Last November, Medina Spirit was part of the mutuel field favored at 6-5; he was 12-1 on Derby Day. Total handle on Pool 1 last year was $249,331.

Pool 1 opened Thursday, along with the Derby Sires future wager, which also closed Sunday evening. The field (No. 24) also was the favorite in the Sires wager at 7-2, followed by Runhappy (7-1), whose price also tumbled Sunday when McIngvale bet $3,000 on him. Then came Gun Runner (9-1), Quality Road (10-1), and Into Mischief (14-1). Combined handle was $50,205, with the lowest $2 exacta payoff being $69 for the field over Gun Runner (24-6).

The Derby Sires wager has been offered concurrent to Pool 1 since November 2015.

The schedule for the four subsequent 2022 Derby pools, all with three-day wagering windows, is as follows: Pool 2, Jan. 21-23; Pool 3, Feb. 11-13; Pool 4, March 11-13; and Pool 5, March 31-April 2. A Kentucky Oaks futures pool will coincide with Pool 4.

In the case of field horses finishing first and second, the highest-placed horse counts as the bottom half of the exacta.

The 148th Derby will be run May 7, 2022.

Kentucky Derby Futures Pool 1 closing odds
(No., Horse, Trainer, Odds)

1. Ben Diesel, D. Stewart, 66-1

2. Classic Causeway, B. Lynch, 44-1

3. Commandperformance, T. Pletcher, 31-1

4. Double Thunder, T. Pletcher, 72-1

5. Epicenter, S. Asmussen, 52-1

6. Forced Ranking, C. Brown, 138-1

7. Giant Game, D. Romans, 37-1

8. Graphic Detail, B. Mott, 133-1

9. Gunite, S. Asmussen, 25-1

10. Howling Time, D. Romans, 43-1

11. Jack Christopher, C. Brown, 10-1

12. Major General, T. Pletcher, 43-1

13. Mo Donegal, T. Pletcher, 37-1

14. Osbourne, R. Moquett, 155-1

15. Oviatt Class, K. Desormeaux, 87-1

16. Pappacap, M. Casse, 23-1

17. Rattle N Roll, K. McPeek, 21-1

18. Smile Happy, K. McPeek, 8-1

19. Tiz the Bomb, K. McPeek, 24-1

20. Trafalgar, A. Stall, 98-1

21. Varatti, T. Pletcher, 54-1

22. Zandon, C. Brown, 56-1

23. Any 3yo filly, n/a, 41-1

24. Field (all others), n/a, 3-5

Win handle: $263,008

Exacta handle: $63,440

Total handle: $326,448

Kentucky Derby Sires Futures closing odds
(No., Sire, Odds)

1. American Pharoah, 20-1

2. Candy Ride, 37-1

3. Curlin, 17-1

4. Empire Maker, 16-1

5. Giant’s Causeway, 24-1

6. Gun Runner, 9-1

7. Into Mischief, 14-1

8. Mastery, 76-1

9. Medaglia d’Oro, 32-1

10. Munnings, 18-1

11. Not This Time, 23-1

12. Nyquist, 40-1

13. Pioneerof the Nile, 53-1

14. Practical Joke, 33-1

15. Quality Road, 10-1

16. Runhappy, 7-1

17. Speightstown, 75-1

18. Street Sense, 41-1

19. Tapit, 18-1

20. Twirling Candy, 48-1

21. Uncle Mo, 25-1

22. Union Rags, 29-1

23. Violence, 45-1

24. Field (all others), 7-2

Win handle: $38,073

Exacta handle: $12,132

Total handle: $50,205