Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Field, Fierceness are favored
The pari-mutuel field of all other 3-year-old colts and geldings closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Fierceness was the 8-1 second choice.
Repole Stable’s Fierceness, trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher, is expected to be crowned last year’s champion 2-year-old male at Thursday night’s Eclipse Awards, and he is on target to make his 3-year-old debut in the Holy Bull (G3) over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park.
Other horses who attracted mild interest from bettors: Remsen (G2) runner-up Sierra Leone at 13-1; Dornoch, 15-1, the Remsen winner and full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage; Breeders’ Cup Juvenile third Locked, 18-1; recent Gulfstream Park maiden winner Conquest Warrior 18-1; and Gun Runner and Lecomte (G3) winner Track Phantom (18-1).
Total handle for the Jan. 19-21 KDFW pool, the third of six scheduled wagering pools in advance of the Kentucky Derby on May 4, was $334,472, with $254,977 in the win pool and $79,495 in exactas. That is a seven-percent increase from last year’s $312,906, when there was $244,700 in the win pool and $68,207 in exactas.
A total of $809,662 has been bet on Derby future wagers thus far compared to $623,660 at this stage last year, a 30 percent increase.
Other future wager dates are set for Feb. 16-18 for pool 4, March 15-17 for pool 5 and April 4-6 for pool 6. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool 5.
| Horse | KDFW odds | $2 win will pay | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Amante Bianco | 104-1 | $211.44 | Keisuke Miyata |
| 2. Ari's Magic | 74-1 | $151.32 | Christophe Clement |
| 3. Book'em Danno | 67-1 | $137.08 | Derek Ryan |
| 4. Born Noble | 41-1 | $85.54 | Todd Pletcher |
| 5. Carbone | 36-1 | $75.98 | Steve Asmussen |
| 6. Cardinale | 152-1 | $307.84 | Todd Pletcher |
| 7. Catching Freedom | 28-1 | $59.28 | Brad Cox |
| 8. Change of Command | 83-1 | $169.30 | Shug McGaughey |
| 9. Conquest Warrior | 18-1 | $38.92 | Shug McGaughey |
| 10. Deterministic | 107-1 | $216.88 | Christophe Clement |
| 11. Dornoch | 15-1 | $32.82 | Danny Gargan |
| 12. Drum Roll Please* | Brad Cox | ||
| 13. El Capi | 33-1 | $69.70 | Rick Dutrow |
| 14. Ethan Energy | 83-1 | $169.66 | Brad Cox |
| 15. Fierceness | 8-1 | $189.64 | Todd Pletcher |
| 16. Forever Young | 34-1 | $70.54 | Yoshito Yahagi |
| 17. Honor Marie | 25-1 | $52.20 | Whit Beckman |
| 18. Imperial Gun | 80-1 | $162.38 | Steve Asmussen |
| 19. Just Steel | 107-1 | $216.02 | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 20. Knightsbridge | 26-1 | $54.36 | Bill Mott |
| 21. Lat Long | 222-1 | $446.24 | Kenny McPeek |
| 22. Liberal Arts | 72-1 | $146.32 | Bobby Medina |
| 23. Locked | 18-1 | $38.46 | Todd Pletcher |
| 24. Merit | 129-1 | $261.56 | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 25. Nash | 35-1 | $73.16 | Brad Cox |
| 26. Otello | 59-1 | $121.12 | Christophe Clement |
| 27. Otto the Conqueror | 91-1 | $184.38 | Steve Asmussen |
| 28. Parchment Party | 51-1 | $104.30 | Bill Mott |
| 29. Real Men Violin | 123-1 | $249.12 | Kenny McPeek |
| 30. Resilience | 93-1 | $189.60 | Bill Mott |
| 31. Sierra Leone | 13-1 | $28.18 | Chad Brown |
| 32. Snead | 69-1 | $141.40 | Brendan Walsh |
| 33. Stretch Ride | 95-1 | $192.22 | Dale Romans |
| 34. Stronghold | 204-1 | $410.40 | Phil D'Amato |
| 35. The Wine Maker | 77-1 | $156.46 | Mike Maker |
| 36. Timberlake | 30-1 | $63.74 | Brad Cox |
| 37. Time for Truth | 93-1 | $189.96 | Ron Moquett |
| 38. Track Phantom | 18-1 | $39.12 | Steve Asmussen |
| 39. Tuscan Sky | 88-1 | $179.00 | Todd Pletcher |
| 40. All other 3-year-olds | 2-1 | $6.88 | |
| * Wagering suspended because of injury |