Eight New Horses in Pool 2 of Derby Future Wager

Edited release from Churchill Downs
When Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2003 Kentucky Derby Future Wager open its four-day run Thursday, it will include eight Derby contenders that were not among the individual horses in February's first of three futures pools. Mirroring the wide-open nature of this year's Derby, there is no clear-cut favorite in the morning-line for Pool 2.

B. Wayne Hughes' Atswhatimtalknbout, who will be among the favorites in Sunday's San Felipe (grade II) at Santa Anita; Edmund Gann's Peace Rules, the upset winner of last week's Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at the Fair Grounds; and the mutuel field, which includes all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses listed in the pool, are listed by Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia as 10-1 co-favorites in his morning line for Pool 2. But Battaglia says the morning line will mean little in what he believes will be an unpredictable pool that will be shaped by the performances of horses in the weekend's major Kentucky Derby prep races: Saturday's $1-million Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park, the San Felipe, and Sunday's Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) at Tampa Bay Downs.

"The morning line in this pool is not going to mean much because so many important horses are running this weekend in major Kentucky Derby preps," Battaglia said. "The favorite for this pool will most likely be determined by the results of the races run during the pool -- not those which were run prior to it."

Pool 2 of the 2003 Kentucky Derby Future Wager opens at noon (all times Eastern) on Thursday, March 13 and continues through Sunday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. The third and final KDFW pool is scheduled for April 3-6, which coincides with the only pool for the first-ever Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager allows racing fans to place wagers on contenders for the Kentucky Derby weeks in advance of the race at odds that may be more attractive than those they would receive on Derby Day. The Kentucky Derby Future Wager is a $2 minimum wager and is a win bet only. There are 24 wagering interests in each pool, which include 23 individual horses and a mutuel field that contains all other 3-year-old Thoroughbreds -- regardless of whether those horses have been nominated to the Kentucky Derby and the Visa Triple Crown. There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

The eight new individual horses in Pool 2 are Aristocat, Champali, Composure, Great Notion, Inamorato, Ocean Terrace, Region of Merit and Supah Blitz. Composure is the only filly listed among the wagering interests in Pool 2. Horses that had been individual wagering interests in February's Pool 1 but are not listed in Pool 2 include Apalachian Thunder, Ozzie Cat, Saintly Look, Seattle Hoofer, Siberland, Sky Mesa, Toccet and Whywhywhy. Those horses will be part of the mutuel field in Pool 2.

After the three co-favorites, Battaglia's morning line for Pool 2 includes four horses that are listed as 12-1 co-second choices. That group includes Empire Maker, Kafwain, Ocean Terrace, and Trust N Luck. Five horses are listed at 15-1: Composure, Domestic Dispute, Lion Tamer, Senor Swinger and Supah Blitz.

As many as 11 of the individual horses in Pool 2 could compete in the Kentucky Derby prep races on this weekend's schedule. Empire Maker, Indy Dancer, Senor Swinger, Supah Blitz and Trust N Luck are considered likely starters in the Florida Derby. The San Felipe is expected to attract Atswhatimtalknbout, Domestic Dispute, Man Among Men and possibly Ten Cents A Shine. Aristocat and Region of Merit are considered likely starters in the Tampa Bay Derby.

KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER POOL 2 (3/10/03)

No.--Wagering Interest, Morning Line

1.--ARISTOCAT, 30-1
2.--ATSWHATIMTALKNBOUT, 10-1
3.--BADGE OF SILVER, 20-1
4.--CHAMPALI, 20-1
5.--COMPOSURE (f), 15-1
6.--DOMESTIC DISPUTE,15-1
7.--EMPIRE MAKER,12-1
8.--FUNNY CIDE, 30-1
9.--GREAT NOTION, 20-1
10.--INAMORATO, 20-1
11.--INDY DANCER, 20-1
12.--KAFWAIN, 12-1
13.--LION TAMER, 15-1
14.--MAN AMONG MEN, 30-1
15.--MINISTERS WILD CAT, 20-1
16.--OCEAN TERRACE, 12-1
17.--OFFLEE WILD, 30-1
18.--PEACE RULES, 10-1
19.--REGION OF MERIT, 30-1
20.--SENOR SWINGER,15-1
21.--SUPAH BLITZ, 15-1
22.--TEN CENTS A SHINE, 20-1
23.--TRUST N LUCK, 12-1
24.--ALL OTHER 3 YOS, 10-1