Update from Churchill Downs (Mar. 11) - Big Drama is no longer being pointed toward the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) and wagering on the colt has been suspended for Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Pool 2 of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager opens its four-day run on Thursday, March 12 and bettors will be able to wager on an exacta for the first time in the pool’s 11-year history.

As usual, KDFW Pool 2 features 24 wagering interests that consist of 23 horses and the always popular mutuel field, which includes all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the pool’s individual horses. Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia installed list the mutuel field and Fox Hill Farm’s unbeaten Old Fashioned   as 8-1 morning-line favorites. The latter was the favored individual horse in Pool 1 at odds of 7-1.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager provides fans with an opportunity to wager on contenders for America’s greatest race at odds that could be much greater than those available on the day of the race. Both the KDFW “win” and exacta bets are $2 minimum wagers. Payouts will be determined by the odds that are in place at the conclusion of betting at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 15.

Battaglia’s morning-line estimates could change significantly during Pool 2’s four-day run as 10 of its wagering interests are scheduled to compete during a busy weekend of Kentucky Derby prep races that include the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds, the $300,000 Rebel (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park, the $200,000 San Felipe (gr. II) at Santa Anita, and the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) at Tampa Bay Downs.

Old Fashioned is scheduled to run in the Rebel, while co-third choice Pioneerof the Nile   (10-1) will compete in the San Felipe. Friesan Fire   (12-1) heads the Louisiana Derby. Other highly regarded horses in the pool include 10-1 co-third choices The Pamplemousse  , winner of the Sham (gr. III), and I Want Revenge, winner of the Gotham (gr. III). I Want Revenge was a 54-1 shot at the close of KDFW Pool 1, but opens at 10-1 in Pool 2 following his 8 1/2-length Gotham romp last week at Aqueduct.

Real-time odds on Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available on the official Kentucky Derby Web site at www.kentuckyderby.com.