Edited press release

A pair of unbeaten horses and the betting interest that represents “all others” drew the strongest fan support on the opening day of second of three pools in Churchill Downs’ 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Three wagering interests stood at odds of 5-1 at the end of the opening day of the four-day Derby Future Pool.  They are Fox Hill Farm’s Old Fashioned  , winner of the Remsen (gr. II) and Southwest (gr. III); Dunkirk  , a $3.7-million sales purchase who is perfect in two career starts but untested in stakes competition; and the mutuel field, which represents all 3-year-olds other than the 22 individual horses on the Pool 2 betting roster.  The original list of 24 betting interests was reduced by one when betting was suspended prior to the opening of the pool on Big Drama   (#3) after his trainer announced the colt was no longer being considered as a candidate for America’s greatest race.
 
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager allows bettors to wager on contenders for the famed “Run for the Roses” at odds that could be more attractive than those available on the day of the race.  Wagering in the pool is scheduled to resume at noon (all times EDT) on Friday, March 13.  KDFW Pool 2 will conclude on Sunday, March 15, at 6 p.m. The 135th running of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) is scheduled for Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs.
 
This pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which is now in its 11th year, is the first to offer exacta wagering.  Betting to “win” on the opening day of the pool totaled $22,458.  The first day of exacta betting ended with a total of $7,439 in that pool.  Both are $2 minimum bets. Winning payouts in the “win” and “exacta” wagers in KDFW Pool 2 will be based on odds that are in place at the conclusion of betting on Sunday.

Other horses that attracted solid support during the opening session of the year’s second Derby Futures pool included Sham (gr. III) winner The Pamplemousse   (7-1); I Want Revenge (9-1), the dominant winner of last week’s Gotham (gr. III); Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) winner Beethoven (14-1); Quality Road   (17-1), winner of the Fountain of Youth (gr. II) and the only betting interest in KDFW Pool 2 that is not nominated to the Kentucky Derby; CashCall Futurity (gr. I) and Robert B. Lewis (gr. II) winner Pioneerof the Nile   (18-1); Gotham runner-up Imperial Council (20-1); and Lecomte (gr. III) and Risen Star (gr. III) winner Friesan Fire   (23-1).

Real time odds, exacta payouts and other information on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available on the official Kentucky Derby event Web site at www.kentuckyderby.com.