Kentucky Derby Future Wager: All others, Forte are top choices
Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool 4 is set to open Friday with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero and champion 2-year-old Forte tabbed as the 8-1 individual betting favorite among the 39 individual betting interests plus the No. 40 option of “all other 3-year-olds” who were not listed.
Pool 4, which features $2 win and exacta wagering, will open Friday at noon EST and close Sunday at 6 p.m.
The comebacking Forte, a three-time Grade 1 winner, is based at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida and has recorded three published workouts since his return to the track. Trainer Todd Pletcher reported the Fountain of Youth (G2) on March 4 is a possible target for Forte’s next start.
Pool 4 has 13 new betting interests: Determinedly, Eyeing Clover, First Defender, Frosted Departure, Funtastic Again, Game Change, Geaux Rocket Ride, General Jim, Hoosier Philly, Mage, Red Route One, Shadow Dragon and Slip Mahoney.
Brad Cox leads all trainers with a roster of 10 3-year-olds in pool 4 followed by Steve Asmussen, with six, and Pletcher, with four.
Jockey Luis Saez has ridden five pool 4 entrants in their last start: Determinedly, General Jim, Instant Coffee, Kingsbarns and Tapit Trice.
After pool 4, there will be two additional opportunities for fans to wager early on contenders targeting Kentucky Derby 2023. Pool 5 will run March 10-12, and pool 6 is March 30-April 1. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool 5 March 10-12.
As was the case last year, pool 4 will assume that horses currently under the care of a trainer suspended from competing in the 2023 Kentucky Derby will not be under consideration. Instead, they will be included in the pari-mutuel field.
Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool 4
| KDFW | Trainer | Sire | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40. All other 3-year-olds | 2-1 | ||
| 13. Forte | 8-1 | Todd Pletcher | Violence |
| 24. Instant Coffee | 12-1 | Brad Cox | Bolt d'Oro |
| 38. Verifying | 15-1 | Brad Cox | Justify |
| 35. Tapit Trice | 20-1 | Todd Pletcher | Tapit |
| 39. Victory Formation | 20-1 | Brad Cox | Tapwrit |
| 4. Blazing Sevens | 20-1 | Chad Brown | Good Magic |
| 10. Dubyuhnell | 30-1 | Danny Gargan | Good Magic |
| 11. Eyeing Clover | 30-1 | Brad Cox | Lookin at Lucky |
| 14. Frosted Departure | 30-1 | Kenny McPeek | Frosted |
| 15. Funtastic Again | 30-1 | Wesley Ward | Funtastic |
| 19. Giant Mischief | 30-1 | Brad Cox | Into Mischief |
| 3. Banishing | 30-1 | Brendan Walsh | Ghostzapper |
| 17. Geaux Rocket Ride | 40-1 | Richard Mandella | Candy Ride |
| 30. Red Route One | 40-1 | Steve Asmussen | Gun Runner |
| 31. Rocket Can | 40-1 | Bill Mott | Into Mischief |
| 7. Cyclone Mischief | 40-1 | Dale Romans | Into Mischief |
| 8. Determinedly | 40-1 | Mark Casse | Cairo Prince |
| 12. First Defender | 50-1 | Steve Asmussen | Quality Road |
| 16. Game Change | 50-1 | Shug McGaughey | Candy Ride |
| 18. General Jim | 50-1 | Shug McGaughey | Into Mischief |
| 21. Gun Pilot | 50-1 | Steve Asmussen | Gun Runner |
| 23. Hoosier Philly | 50-1 | Tom Amoss | Into Mischief |
| 26. Kingsbarns | 50-1 | Todd Pletcher | Uncle Mo |
| 27. Litigate | 50-1 | Todd Pletcher | Blame |
| 28. Mage | 50-1 | Gustavo Delgado | Good Magic |
| 29. Practical Move | 50-1 | Tim Yakteen | Practical Joke |
| 33. Shopper's Revenge | 50-1 | Steve Asmussen | Tapit |
| 34. Slip Mahoney | 50-1 | Brad Cox | Arrogate |
| 36. Tapit's Conquest | 50-1 | Brad Cox | Tapit |
| 37. Two Phil's | 50-1 | Larry Rivelli | Hard Spun |
| 5. Confidence Game | 50-1 | Keith Desormeaux | Candy Ride |
| 22. Hit Show | 60-1 | Brad Cox | Candy Ride |
| 32. Shadow Dragon | 60-1 | Bill Mott | Army Mule |
| 6. Curly Jack | 60-1 | Tom Amoss | Good Magic |
| 9. Disarm | 60-1 | Steve Asmussen | Gun Runner |
| 1. Angel of Empire | 80-1 | Brad Cox | Classic Empire |
| 2. Arctic Arrogance | 80-1 | Linda Rice | Frosted |
| 20. Gulfport | 80-1 | Steve Asmussen | Good Magic |
| 25. Jace's Road | 80-1 | Brad Cox | Quality Road |