First Kentucky Derby 2019 Future Wager set; see the odds
Seven horses conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer and four-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert are among the 24 betting interests in Pool 1 of the 2019 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which kicks off a four-day run at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day.
Unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner heads the Baffert arsenal as the 8-1 individual favorite on veteran odds maker Mike Battaglia's morning line. The pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” is expected to be the overall first-pool favorite for the 21st consecutive year and Battaglia projects it to close as the 7-5 choice.
New to Pool 1 this year is an option for bettors to wager on “All 3-Year-Old Fillies,” which is projected by Battaglia to close at odds of 30-1.
In addition to Game Winner, the impressive roster of Baffert-trained juveniles include flashy winners Improbable (10-1), Coliseum (15-1), Mucho Gusto (20-1), Magic On Tap (30-1), Roadster (30-1) and Tale of the Union (30-1).
Improbable, the runaway winner of the $100,000 Street Sense at Churchill Downs, and the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Instagrand, who won both of his starts by a combined 20 ¼ lengths before being shut down for the year, are the co-second betting choices at odds of 10-1.
The pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Bets can be placed at Churchill Downs Racetrack, online wagering outlets and satellite wagering centers across North America.
The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered concurrently with the fourth annual Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which provides bettors with a unique opportunity to wager on select breeding stars and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year’s Kentucky Derby.
Offspring sired by Candy Ride and Into Mischief are 6-1 on the morning line for the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. Candy Ride’s top Derby prospects include Game Winner and Nashua (G3) victor Vekoma. Into Mischief is the sire of Best Pal (G2) champ Instagrand and unbeaten Parx-based Maximus Mischief.
Last year, Justify was unraced at the time of the first Future Wagers and paid $4.40 to win the Derby as part of the “All Other 3-Year-olds” pari-mutuel field. However, a bet on his sire Scat Daddy returned $54.80 at odds of 26-1 in the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager.
The 145th running of Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 4, 2019, at Churchill Downs.
| Horse | Morning Line Odds |
| 1. Cairo Cat | 30-1 |
| 2. Code of Honor | 20-1 |
| 3. Coliseum | 15-1 |
| 4. Dunph | 30-1 |
| 5. Epic Dreamer | 50-1 |
| 6. Game Winner | 8-1 |
| 7. Gunmetal Gray | 30-1 |
| 8. Improbable | 10-1 |
| 9. Instagrand | 10-1 |
| 10. King for a Day | 50-1 |
| 11. Knicks Go | 20-1 |
| 12. Magic on Tap | 30-1 |
| 13. Maximus Mischief | 30-1 |
| 14. Mucho | 50-1 |
| 15. Mucho Gusto | 20-1 |
| 16. Network Effect | 30-1 |
| 17. Preamble | 50-1 |
| 18. Roadster | 30-1 |
| 19. Signalman | 50-1 |
| 20. Tale of the Union | 30-1 |
| 21. Uncle Benny | 50-1 |
| 22. Vekoma | 30-1 |
| 23. All 3-Year-Old Fillies | 30-1 |
| 24. Other 3-Year-Old Males | 7-5 |