Kentucky Derby Future Wager: 1st-day odds for final pool
Epicenter has been the consensus favorite in Las Vegas. Now he is the early favorite in the fifth and final pool of the pari-mutuel Kentucky Derby Future Wager being conducted nationally by Churchill Downs.
The two-time Grade 2 winner whose last score came March 26 in the Louisiana Derby (G2) was 9-2 through Thursday’s first day of the KDFW, which is being run a day earlier than normal. Pool 5 closes Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EDT, shortly before the final three major Derby preps are run.
Charge It, Messier and Forbidden Kingdom are 9-1 each. Charge It finished his preps with a second-place finish last weekend in the Florida Derby (G1). Messier, newly eligible after being transferred to from suspended trainer Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen, and Forbidden Kingdom, a two-time Grade 2 winner, square off Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
White Abarrio, who won last week’s Florida Derby, is the fifth choice at 10-1.
There were $118,375 bet in the first 12 hours of the KDFW, including $86,750 in the win pool and $31,625 in the exacta.
These were the odds after the first day of KDFW Pool 5, showing horses, the morning line, prices shown by Churchill Downs on Friday at 11:50 p.m. EDT, trainers and sires:
| KDFW Pool 5 | ML | Thu. | Wagers | Trainer | Sire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. Epicenter | 5-1 | 9-2 | $12,674 | Steve Asmussen | Not This Time |
| 2. Charge It | 12-1 | 9-1 | $6,986 | Todd Pletcher | Tapit |
| 11. Messier | 8-1 | 9-1 | $6,764 | Tim Yakteen | Empire Maker |
| 9. Forbidden Kingdom | 8-1 | 9-1 | $6,532 | Richard Mandella | American Pharoah |
| 21. White Abarrio | 8-1 | 10-1 | $6,235 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Race Day |
| 4. Cyberknife | 12-1 | 14-1 | $4,554 | Brad Cox | Gun Runner |
| 22. Zandon | 20-1 | 15-1 | $4,473 | Chad Brown | Upstart |
| 17. Smile Happy | 6-1 | 15-1 | $4,420 | Kenny McPeek | Summer Front |
| 13. Morello | 20-1 | 15-1 | $4,324 | Steve Asmussen | Classic Empire |
| 20. Tiz the Bomb | 12-1 | 18-1 | $3,610 | Kenny McPeek | Hit It a Bomb |
| 24. All other 3-year-olds | 15-1 | 19-1 | $3,563 | ||
| 3. Crown Pride | 50-1 | 20-1 | $3,393 | Koichi Shintani | Reach the Crown |
| 1. Barber Road | 30-1 | 21-1 | $3,225 | John Ortiz | Race Day |
| 5. Early Voting | 20-1 | 23-1 | $2,929 | Chad Brown | Gun Runner |
| 15. Simplification | 15-1 | 34-1 | $2,025 | Antonio Sano | Nyquist |
| 12. Mo Donegal | 20-1 | 35-1 | $1,977 | Todd Pletcher | Uncle Mo |
| 23. Zozos | 30-1 | 42-1 | $1,630 | Brad Cox | Munnings |
| 18. Summer Is Tomorrow | 50-1 | 44-1 | $1,587 | Bhupat Seemar | Pioneer of the Nile |
| 16. Slow Down Andy | 50-1 | 47-1 | $1,475 | Doug O'Neill | Runhappy |
| 6. Emmanuel | 20-1 | 54-1 | $1,279 | Todd Pletcher | More Than Ready |
| 8. Ethereal Road | 50-1 | 66-1 | $1,055 | D. Wayne Lukas | Quality Road |
| 10. In Due Time | 50-1 | 77-1 | $916 | Kelly Breen | Not This Time |
| 19. Tawny Port | 50-1 | 99-1 | $587 | Brad Cox | Pioneerof the Nile |
| 14. Pioneer of Medina | 30-1 | 99-1 | $526 | Todd Pletcher | Pioneerof the Nile |
| Win pool | $86,750 | ||||
| Exacta pool | $31,625 | ||||
| Total handle | $118,375 |