Derby Future Wager: ‘All others,’ Smile Happy are top 2 choices
With the Kentucky Derby 12 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of “all other 3-year-olds” closed as the 2-1 favorite, and Smile Happy was the 8-1 second betting choice in Pool 3 of the pari-mutuel Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Smile Happy, the 3 1/4-length winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs in November, also closed as the 8-1 individual favorite in pools 1 and 2 of the KDFW in November and January.
Other horses that garnered attention from bettors include Saturday’s Sam F. Davis (G3) winner Classic Causeway (13-1), Remsen (G2) winner and Holy Bull (G3) third-place finisher Mo Donegal (14-1), unbeaten first-level allowance winner Emmanuel (15-1), Holy Bull (G3) winner White Abarrio (18-1), San Vicente (G2) winner Forbidden Kingdom (18-1), Withers (G3) winner Early Voting (19-1) and Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Rattle N Roll.
Horses in order of the public’s betting choice with trainer, Pool 3 odds, $2 win will-pays and the money wagered to win:
| KDFW Pool 3 | Trainer | Odds | $2 will pay | Wagers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24. All other 3-year-olds | 2-1 | $6.00 | $63,425 | |
| 21. Smile Happy | Kenny McPeek | 8-1 | $19.80 | $19,507 |
| 4. Classic Causeway | Brian Lynch | 13-1 | $28.20 | $13,749 |
| 16. Mo Donegal | Todd Pletcher | 14-1 | $31.80 | $12,129 |
| 7. Emmanuel | Todd Pletcher | 15-1 | $32.60 | $11,842 |
| 22. White Abarrio | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 18-1 | $39.60 | $9,749 |
| 9. Forbidden Kingdom | Richard Mandella | 18-1 | $39.80 | $9,730 |
| 6. Early Voting | Chad Brown | 19-1 | $40.00 | $9,648 |
| 18. Rattle N Roll | Kenny McPeek | 19-1 | $41.40 | $9,333 |
| 23. Zandon | Chad Brown | 21-1 | $44.40 | $8,728 |
| 20. Slow Down Andy | Doug O'Neill | 23-1 | $48.40 | $8,002 |
| 8. Epicenter | Steve Asmussen | 24-1 | $51.20 | $7,562 |
| 3. Chasing Time | Steve Asmussen | 25-1 | $52.80 | $7,317 |
| 17. Pappacap | Mark Casse | 31-1 | $64.00 | $6,046 |
| 14. Major General | Todd Pletcher | 32-1 | $66.00 | $5,858 |
| 5. Commandperformance | Todd Pletcher | 33-1 | $69.80 | $5,541 |
| 13. In Due Time | Kelly Breen | 37-1 | $76.80 | $5,045 |
| 19. Simplification | Antonio Sano | 43-1 | $88.20 | $4,391 |
| 2. Call Me Midnight | Keith Desormeaux | 56-1 | $115.20 | $3,365 |
| 11. Happy Boy Rocket | Bill Mott | 61-1 | $124.60 | $3,110 |
| 10. God of Love | Mark Casse | 61-1 | $124.60 | $3,107 |
| 1. Barber Road | John Ortiz | 63-1 | $129.10 | $3,004 |
| 12. Howling Time | Dale Romans | 72-1 | $146.80 | $2,639 |
| 15. Make It Big | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 88-1 | $178.20 | $2,174 |
The individual choices did not include horses trained by Bob Baffert, who is under a two-year Churchill Downs suspension after 2020 Kentucky Oaks finisher Gamine and 2021 winner Medina Spirit failed post-race drug tests. Horses who could be moved from Baffert to other trainers are covered among the “all other 3-year-olds” mutuel field.
The total handle Friday-Sunday was $328,461 ($235,012 in the win pool and $93,448 in the exacta). This was the third of five scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 148th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7.
Dates for the remaining 2022 Kentucky Derby future pools are March 11-13 (Pool 4) and March 31-April 2 (Pool 5). The last pool will run Thursday through Saturday.
The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will be March 11-13 and will coincide with Pool 4 of the KDFW.