Future Bettors Favor 'All Others'

Edited press release

A weekend of upsets in important prep races for the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) convinced many racing fans to turn to the “all others” option as the mutuel field ended up as the lukewarm 9-2 favorite in the second of three pools in Churchill Downs’ 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
       
The mutuel field, which included all 3-year-olds other than the 22 individual horses listed on KDFW Pool 2’s roster of betting interests, stood as the 9-2 fan’s choice when betting on the four-day pool closed on Sunday at 6 p.m. (all times Eastern).  “All others” had been a strong 9-5 favorite in Pool 1, which ran from Feb. 12-15.
     
The narrow choice among individual horses in KDFW Pool 2 was unbeaten Dunkirk, the $3.7-million yearling purchase who has easily won his first two races.  The Todd Pletcher-trained colt was the 7-1 second choice, and just held off Friesan Fire  for the number two spot in the pool.  Friesan Fire, a 22-1 risk at the midpoint of the four-day pool, saw his odds drop sharply to 8-1 after the Larry Jones-trained colt’s scored dominant 7 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $600,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds. 

Old Fashioned, Friesan Fire’s Jones-trained stablemate and the favored individual horse in February’s first Derby Future Pool of 2009, saw his odds drift slightly upward after the previously unbeaten colt was upset by 56-1 shot Win Willy in the $300,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park. Friesan Fire and Old Fashioned closed at identical odds of 8-1 and each would pay $18.40 for a $2 win ticket in KDFW Pool 2 with a victory in the Kentucky Derby.
       
The March 12-15 second pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager was the first in the bet’s 11-year history to offer exacta wagering along with its traditional $2 minimum “win” bet.  Exacta wagering accounted for $104,017 of Pool 2’s total betting of $380,420.  The combined wagering total was the fifth-highest in Pool 2 since the Kentucky Derby Future Wager was introduced in 1999. 
 
The third and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool of 2009 is scheduled for April 2-5.  Real time odds, exacta payouts and other information on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available on the official event Web site at www.kentuckyderby.com.
       
Other horses that attracted solid support in KDFW Pool 2 included Sham Stakes (gr. III) winner The Pamplemousse , who closed at 9-1. I Want Revenge , the easy winner of the Gotham (gr. III), closed at 10-1 and Pioneerof the Nile , who scored his third consecutive stakes victory in Saturday’s San Felipe (gr. II) at Santa Anita, was next at 12-1.  Fountain of Youth (gr. II) winner Quality Road  closed at 14-1, while Dubai-based Desert Party  closed at 17-1. Theregoesjojo (19-1) and Imperial Council (20-1) were next in Pool 2’s final odds.
     
KDFW Pool 2 was reduced to 23 wagering interests when betting on Big Drama (#3) was suspended prior to the pool when he was declared out of Derby consideration.