Nine new horses listed for Pool 3 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Nine new names are in the lineup for Pool 3 of the 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens at noon Eastern on Friday for the customary three-day run.

The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, has been pegged as the 7-2 morning-line favorite in Pool 3 by Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia, with Essential Quality and Life Is Good the shortest individual interests, both at 8-1. Then come Caddo River (12-1), Greatest Honour (15-1), and Risk Taking (15-1), with all others 20-1 or higher.

The new names for Pool 3 are Candy Man Rocket, Dream Shake, Freedom Fighter, Nova Rags, Prevalence, Risk Taking, Roman Centurian, Swiftsure, and The Great One.

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

Gone from Pool 2 are Bezos, Capo Kane, Mutasaabeq, Olympiad, Prate, Prime Factor, Proxy, Spielberg, and Wipe the Slate.

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

Six of the Pool 3 horses are entered to run Saturday. Five are entered in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds – Keepmeinmind, Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon, Proxy, and Senor Buscador – while Rombauer goes in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. A third Derby qualifying-points race, the Southwest at Oaklawn Park, will be run Monday. Essential Quality, Jackie's Warrior, and Keepmeinmind are being considered for that race.

The field closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 1, which drew total handle of $249,331 when held Nov. 26-29 in tandem with the Derby Sires Future Wager. The field was the 9-5 favorite in Pool 2, which drew handle of $322,033 for the wagering period of Jan. 22-24. Pool 4 is set for March 5-7 and Pool 5 for March 26-28, with Pool 4 coinciding with a separate Kentucky Oaks pool.

Churchill Downs had offered four pari-mutuel 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. Combined handle last year in Pool 3 was $356,667; the field closed as the 4-1 favorite, while the eventual Derby winner, Authentic, was the top individual choice at 6-1, a couple of ticks lower than his 8-1 odds on Derby Day.

The record for handle in a single pool remains $631,304, set in 2012.

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.

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

The 147th Kentucky Derby will be run May 1.

The field in program order, with trainer, Pool 1 odds, Pool 2 odds, and morning line for Pool 3:

1. Caddo River, B. Cox, 27-1, 13-1, 12-1

2. Candy Man Rocket, B. Mott, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 20-1

3. Concert Tour, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 16-1, 20-1

4. Dream Shake, P.Eurton, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 20-1

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

6. Fire At Will, M. Maker, 30-1, 45-1, 50-1

7. Freedom Fighter, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 20-1

8. Greatest Honour, S. McGaughey, 6-5(f), 40-1, 15-1

9. Highly Motivated, C. Brown, 18-1, 24-1, 20-1

10. Hot Rod Charlie, D. O’Neill, 34-1, 40-1, 20-1

11. Jackie’s Warrior, S. Asmussen, 18-1, 23-1, 30-1

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

13. Life Is Good, B. Baffert, 5-1, 7-1, 8-1

14. Mandaloun, B. Cox, 6-5(f), 42-1, 30-1

15. Medina Spirit, B. Baffert, 6-5(f), 24-1, 20-1

16. Midnight Bourbon, S. Asmussen, 59-1, 26-1, 30-1

17. Nova Rags, B. Mott, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 30-1

18. Prevalence, B. Walsh, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 20-1

19. Risk Taking, C. Brown, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 15-1

20. Roman Centurian, S. Callaghan, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 30-1

21. Senor Buscador, T. Fincher, 6-5(f), 34-1, 30-1

22. Swiftsure, S. Asmussen, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 30-1

23. The Great One, D. O’Neill, 6-5(f), 9-5(f), 20-1 24.

Mutuel field, n/a, 6-5, 9-5, 7-2

(f) – Mutuel field