Point Given, shown during an exercise run, closed as the 2-1 favorite in pool three of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Impressed with his winning performance in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), bettors poured money on Point Given in pool three of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager, with the son of Thunder Gulch the 2-1 favorite as the bet closed at 4:30 p.m. (EDT) Sunday. Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Monarchos was the 6-1 second choice, with both Dollar Bill and A P Valentine at 10-1.The three winners of Saturday's other Kentucky Derby prep races --Distilled, Thunder Blitz, and Percy Hope –- are part of the mutuel field, which closed at 18-1. The mutuel field includes all other 3-year-olds besides the 23 individual horses in pool three.Other horses in Saturday's prep races saw their odds increase. Santa Anita Derby runner-up Crafty C.T., who will likely pass on the Derby, closed at 60-1. Odds on Dream Run, third in the Illinois Derby (gr. II), rose to over 99-1, as did those on both Palmeiro -- fourth in the Santa Anita Derby -- and Proud Man, who came home last of nine in the Flamingo.Wagering was suspended on Outofthebox on Sunday after Churchill Downs learned the colt suffered an injury during Saturday's Flamingo Stakes (gr. III) which will prevent him from running in the Derby.Over $117,000 was wagered on Point Given in pool three out of a total handle of $425,871. Point Given was bet down to 7-1 in pool one and 6-1 in pool two.Last year, $387,206 was wagered into pool three, with subsequent Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus closing as the 3-1 favorite. Total handle for all three pools this year reached $1,309,647, eclipsing the record handle of $1,158,919 set last year. "After a third consecutive year of significant growth in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, Churchill Downs would like to thank racing fans from across North America for their continued support for this product and their devotion to America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby," said Alex Waldrop, president of Churchill Downs. "Their enthusiasm tells us that the Kentucky Derby Future Wager has become everything we hoped it would be. We look forward to continued growth and we will continue to look for ways to improve this exciting wager and concept."(Full odds board, Churchill Downs)
