Seven horses added to Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2
Seven new names are in the lineup for Pool 2 of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern 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 2 by Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia, with McKinzie the shortest individually listed interest at 8-1. Then come Bolt d’Oro and Good Magic, both at 10-1, and Audible and Mask, both at 12-1.
New names for Pool 2 are Audible, Catholic Boy, Combatant, Instilled Regard, Mourinho, Retirement Fund, and Strike Power. Pool 1 individuals now in the field for Pool 2 are Dak Attack, Engage, Givemeaminit, Gotta Go, Lone Sailor, Quip, and Talent Scout.
Win and exacta wagering are available, with odds and will-pays locked in only when the pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays, and analysis
The field closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 1, which was held Nov. 23-26 in tandem with the Derby Sires Future Wager. Combined Pool 1 handle was $250,259, with another $42,953 bet in the sires wager. This is the 20th year that Churchill has offered parimutuel futures, and the field has closed as the favorite every year in Pool 1.
Pool 3 is set for March 9-11 and Pool 4 for April 6-8. The lone Kentucky Oaks futures pool will coincide with Pool 3.
Last year, when Pool 2 was held in late January, the field closed as the 5-2 favorite and included the eventual Derby winner, Always Dreaming. Classic Empire closed as the lowest individual choice at 5-1. Combined handle was $330,042, down 25 percent from the corresponding pool in 2016.
The record for handle in a single pool is $631,304, set in 2012, while the record for aggregate handle in a single year was $1,665,990 in 2005.
Real-time odds and will-pays are available through various modes, including on television monitors at tracks and wagering outlets, as well as at kentuckyderby.com.
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.
Composition of the 23-horse futures lineups are decided by a Churchill panel led by Ben Huffman, John Asher, and Darren Rogers.
The 144th Kentucky Derby will be run May 5, 2018.
| Horse | Trainer | Pool 1 Odds | Pool 2 M/L |
| Audible | Todd Pletcher | 6-5 (f) | 12-1 |
| Avery Island | Kiaran McLauglin | 29-1 | 20-1 |
| Bolt d'Oro | Mick Ruis | 7-1 | 10-1 |
| Catholic Boy | Jonathan Thomas | 6-5 (f) | 20-1 |
| Combatant | Steve Asmussen | 6-5 (f) | 50-1 |
| Copper Bullet | Steve Asmussen | 45-1 | 50-1 |
| Enticed | Kiaran McLaughlin | 29-1 | 30-1 |
| Firenze Fire | Jason Servis | 49-1 | 30-1 |
| Free Drop Billy | Dale Romans | 33-1 | 20-1 |
| Good Magic | Chad Brown | 11-1 | 10-1 |
| Instilled Regard | Jerry Hollendorfer | 6-5 (f) | 30-1 |
| Mask | Chad Brown | 47-1 | 12-1 |
| McKinzie | Bob Baffert | 12-1 | 8-1 |
| Mendelssohn | Aiden O'Brien | 31-1 | 30-1 |
| Montauk | Todd Pletcher | 17-1 | 20-1 |
| Mourinho | Bob Baffert | 6-5 (f) | 12-1 |
| Principe Guilherme | Steve Asmussen | 27-1 | 30-1 |
| Retirement Fund | Steve Asmussen | 27-1 | 30-1 |
| Solomini | Bob Baffert | 22-1 | 20-1 |
| Sporting Chance | D. Wayne Lukas | 56-1 | 50-1 |
| Strike Power | Mark Hennig | 6-5 (f) | 20-1 |
| Tiz Mischief | Dale Romans | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Untamed Domain | H. Graham Motion | 29-1 | 30-1 |
| Mutel Field | 6-5 | 7-2 |