LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In the wake of his dominating victory in the Florida Derby, Nyquist has overtaken Mohaymen as the favorite in the fourth and final pool of the 2016 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closes today at 6 p.m. Eastern after the customary three-day run.

Odds are not locked in until the pool closes, and typically more than half the handle in a given pool will pour in on the final day of wagering. That surely will hold true today in the aftermath of the Florida Derby, which was the only Kentucky Derby prep this weekend with an impact on Pool 4.

Golden Gate Fields has announced a special three-week turf festival from April 14 to May 1, when it will be the only track with a turf course running in California.

Increased purses with an extra $125,000 allocated to turf races, free shipping from Santa Anita, and guaranteed late pick fours will be offered as well as additional turf opportunities for horsemen.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Richard Thalheimer, an economist who wrote papers analyzing the impact of takeout rates on horse-racing handle and other studies of the racing industry, died Monday in Nicholasville, Ky., of the effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, according to a notice from his family. Thalheimer was 72.

These days, owner Paul Reddam has one eye on the Kentucky Derby preps and another on the National Hockey League standings, for as much as he wants to get to and win the Derby again, he also wants his beloved Detroit Red Wings to keep alive their 24-year streak of making the playoffs.

Horses and hockey have been Reddam’s passions since he was a youth, and with Nyquist – his unbeaten champion colt who has his final Derby prep on Saturday in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream – he’s found the best way yet to combine the two.

WHO’S HOT

Two Daily Racing Form handicappers and other racing personalities will discuss the fields for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby at a charitable event May 2 at Keeneland, the organizers of the event announced Tuesday.

Hall of Fame rider Calvin Borel has informed his agent, Larry Melancon, that he has retired, Melancon said on Wednesday. Borel, 49, has been riding at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Melancon said Borel told him of his intent to retire Tuesday but did not give a reason for his decision. Melancon said he called Borel again Wednesday morning to verify that he still felt the same way, as Borel had horses lined up to work and mounts for the remainder of the week at Oaklawn.

Services for Jeff Lukas, the son of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas known for his work with such prominent horses as 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, are scheduled for Wednesday in Atoka, Okla.

Jeff Lukas died March 23. He was 58. 

Services will begin at 2 p.m. Central on Wednesday at the First Baptist Church of Atoka, Okla., according to a notice from Brown’s Funeral Service. The family will receive visitors from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, at the chapel at Brown’s Funeral Home in Atoka.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mohaymen and Nyquist are the morning-line favorites, but clearly it would behoove their backers to wait until results of the Florida Derby are known Saturday evening before diving into the fourth and final pool of the 2016 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

The pool opens Friday at noon Eastern, with odds locked in only when the pool closes Sunday evening at 6 p.m. Mohaymen, the 7-2 choice on the Pool 4 morning line, squares off against Nyquist (8-1) in a highly anticipated matchup of undefeated colts Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

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