Kentucky Derby odds: Las Vegas reacts to Baffert transfers

Get ready for a bull run on Messier. It already started in Nevada, and it may be spreading to nationwide futures betting next week.

One Las Vegas sportsbook took significant action that forced a move in the Kentucky Derby futures when trainer Bob Baffert transferred the two-time Grade 3 winner to his former assistant Tim Yakteen.

“We took three max bets on Messier at 14-1 just as the news broke,” said Paul Zilm of Circa Sports, which immediately cut the colt to join Risen Star (G2) winner Epicenter as its new 7-1 favorite. “We moved Messier, Doppelgänger and McLaren Vale.”

RELATED: Baffert moves horses to make them eligible for Derby.

Those were the three horses whom Baffert transferred to Yakteen in order to make them eligible to earn qualifying points and get into the Derby. Had they stayed put, they would have remained ineligible because of the ban Baffert is serving after the late Medina Spirit failed a drug test that led to his disqualification as last year’s Derby winner.

Circa cut Doppelgänger from 125-1 to 40-1. McLaren Vale went from 300-1 to 100-1, although Baffert told the Los Angeles Times he was not sure the colt would step onto the Derby trail.

Baffert moved Blackadder to Kentucky-based trainer Rodolphe Brisset, prompting Circa to open the El Camino Real Derby victor at 200-1. That did not last long.

“Within three minutes we got a max bet on Blackadder,” Zilm said. “We took him down to 125-1.”

Caesars Sportsbook at William Hill temporarily suspended betting on its futures, a routine move whenever Derby preps are being run but rarely because of breaking news. At the time Messier was 8-1, Doppelgänger 25-1 and McLaren Vale 175-1.

Baffert horses have not been listed individually in the first four pools of the pari-mutuel Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which is operated by Churchill Downs. With his move to Yakteen, Messier would seem like a slam dunk to show up in Pool 5 next week. A Churchill Downs spokesperson would not bite on that, saying the “committee meets Monday” to select the 23 individual horses that will be on offer from next Thursday until post time of the earliest of the prep races being run Saturday, April 2.

Messier is expected to race April 9 in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Doppelgänger may land in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 2, the same day as Blackadder has been committed to run in the Jeff Ruby Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park. All three races are 100-40-20-10 points preps that mathematically guarantee the winners of a place in the Kentucky Derby and second-place finishers almost certain to join them.

Aside from the former Bafferts, Zilm said Louisiana Derby (G2) favorite Epicenter “took big action” on Wednesday. “I was kind of waiting for someone to play him. They did.” Epicenter went from 12-1 to 7-1 at Circa.

Last year’s juvenile champions Corniche, who is still with Baffert, and Echo Zulu, the Steve Asmussen-trained filly who was entered into Saturday’s Fair Ground Oaks (G2), were dropped from the Circa futures. Each had been 100-1.

Secret Oath, the filly who trainer D. Wayne Lukas will race against males in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 2, was cut by Circa from 28-1 to 15-1.

Following were the updated Kentucky Derby futures odds at Circa Sports on Thursday evening at 5 p.m. EDT.

(Note: Caesars at William Hill odds will be added when those futures are reopened.)