On the eve of the biggest race of his career, the public is holding Juddmonte Farms' Empire Maker as the favorite at 9-1 among the 23 individuals listed in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
The field, at 4-1, continued as the actual favorite in betting that wound down for the second day of the current pool, which remains open until Sunday at 6:30 p.m. EST.
As of 9 p.m. EST on Friday, $64,250 had been recorded in the national Derby future pool.
Empire Maker, expected to go favored in Saturday's Florida Derby (gr. I), has but one career win in three starts. A son of Unbridled out of the outstanding racing and breeding mare Toussaud, Empire Maker was second to Man Among Men in the Sham Stakes on Feb. 7 in his only start as a sophomore for trainer Bobby Frankel.
Kafwain, second in last weekend's Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds, and Atswhatimtalknbout, making his anxiously-awaited first stakes appearance in Sunday's San Felipe at Santa Anita, are both at 11-1. Florida Derby contender Trust N Luck, 17-1 at the close of wagering Thursday, improved to 12-1. Badge of Silver, sixth in the Louisiana, and Peace Rules, who won it, are each at 12-1 as well.
The biggest betting moves in the first two days of Pool 2 were for Ocean Terrace, who went from 49-1 to 30-1, and Offlee Wild, from 44-1 to 30-1.
# Odds Horse1. 60-1 Aristocat
2. 11-1 Atswhatimtalknbout
3. 12-1 Badge Of Silver
4. 35-1 Champali
5. 24-1 Composure
6. 19-1 Domestic Dispute
7. 9-1 Empire Maker
8. 35-1 Funny Cide
9. 50-1 Great Notion
10. 35-1 Inamorato
11. 30-1 Indy Dancer
12. 11-1 Kafwain
13. 14-1 Lion Tamer
14. 19-1 Man Among Men
15. 17-1 Ministers Wild Cat
16. 30-1 Ocean Terrace
17. 30-1 Offlee Wild
18. 12-1 Peace Rules
19. 70-1 Region Of Merit
20. 45-1 Senor Swinger
21. 99-1 Supah Blitz
22. 30-1 Ten Cents A Shine
23. 12-1 Trust N Luck
24. 4-1 All Others
Total: $64,250
