Ky. Derby Future Wager: It starts ... and ends ... a day early
Like showing up late after forgetting to turn clocks forward, the final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager has the potential to play gotcha with pari-mutuel bettors nationwide.
Unlike the first five go-rounds leading to the Kentucky Derby 2023, pool 6 starts a day early, as in noon EDT on Thursday.
Although more serious bettors will not be putting a toe in the water that early, they will want to know the pool also closes a day early, specifically Saturday at 6 p.m. EDT. That will be before this weekend’s runnings of the Florida Derby (G1) at 6:40 p.m. and the Arkansas Derby at 7:50 p.m.
This is the second year Churchill Downs, the organizers of the KDFW, have created what amounts to a Saturday post time for the final pool. One reason stated was to offer the opportunity for more value on horses who had yet to run in the two major preps Saturday. The higher odds come with the greater risk, of course, that a horse could scuttle his Kentucky Derby hopes with a disappointing race this weekend.
This also is the first year the last of the fixed-odds pari-mutuels will be more competitive with Nevada bookmakers, because they will include 39 individual betting choices rather than only 23. Las Vegas has 79, a good many of whom already may be off the Derby trail.
Forte, best priced at 7-2 in Nevada, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the last KDFW pool. He is among the 11 individual options who race in either the Florida Derby or Arkansas Derby on Saturday.
Here is a comparison of the Las Vegas futures Wednesday at Caesars Sportsbook, Circa Sports and the Westgate SuperBook with the Churchill Downs morning line for the pari-mutuel KDFW, showing best prices in bold type:
| Kentucky Derby 2023 | Caesars | Circa | WG | KDFW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte | 3-1 | 3-1 | 7-2 | 5-2 |
| Tapit Trice | 8-1 | 6-1 | 6-1 | 8-1 |
| Practical Move | 10-1 | 10-1 | 14-1 | 8-1 |
| Kingsbarns | 14-1 | 10-1 | 14-1 | 20-1 |
| Geaux Rocket Ride | 22-1 | 17-1 | 30-1 | 20-1 |
| Reincarnate | 18-1 | 14-1 | 30-1 | 20-1 |
| Hit Show | 30-1 | 35-1 | 30-1 | 20-1 |
| Red Route One | 20-1 | 35-1 | 30-1 | 25-1 |
| Awesome Strong | 40-1 | |||
| Derma Sotogake | 30-1 | 30-1 | 12-1 | 40-1 |
| Disarm | 38-1 | 40-1 | 30-1 | 40-1 |
| Two Phil's | 30-1 | 20-1 | 20-1 | 40-1 |
| Angel of Empire | 40-1 | 45-1 | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Confidence Game | 22-1 | 45-1 | 30-1 | 25-1 |
| Verifying | 22-1 | 45-1 | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| National Treasure | 15-1 | 40-1 | 40-1 | 50-1 |
| Skinner | 38-1 | 45-1 | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Instant Coffee | 50-1 | 55-1 | 25-1 | 20-1 |
| Rocket Can | 32-1 | 55-1 | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| Wildatlanticstorm | 60-1 | |||
| Major Dude | 65-1 | 65-1 | 30-1 | |
| Blazing Sevens | 35-1 | 75-1 | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| Dreamlike | 50-1 | 80-1 | ||
| Raise Cain | 50-1 | 80-1 | 40-1 | 40-1 |
| Sun Thunder | 75-1 | 60-1 | 80-1 | |
| I Don't Get It | 99-1 | |||
| Continuar | 100-1 | 100-1 | 99-1 | |
| Cyclone Mischief | 50-1 | 100-1 | 60-1 | 80-1 |
| Dura Erede | 100-1 | 60-1 | ||
| Fort Bragg | 100-1 | 75-1 | 80-1 | 80-1 |
| Jace's Road | 50-1 | 80-1 | 100-1 | 80-1 |
| Mage | 75-1 | 100-1 | 60-1 | 80-1 |
| Mr. Peeks | 100-1 | |||
| Shopper's Revenge | 100-1 | |||
| Slip Mahoney | 85-1 | 100-1 | 80-1 | 80-1 |
| Victory Formation | 50-1 | 100-1 | 60-1 | |
| Classic Car Wash | 110-1 | 125-1 | 50-1 | 80-1 |
| Classic Legacy | 90-1 | 125-1 | 100-1 | |
| Gun Pilot | 135-1 | |||
| Mo Strike | 135-1 | |||
| Two Eagles River | 135-1 | 50-1 | 100-1 | 99-1 |
| Airtime | 150-1 | 150-1 | ||
| Bishops Bay | 100-1 | 150-1 | ||
| Congruent | 150-1 | 125-1 | ||
| Gulfport | 150-1 | |||
| Mandarin Hero | 150-1 | 60-1 | 80-1 | |
| Wild On Ice (g) | 150-1 | 150-1 | 80-1 | 80-1 |
| Bourbon Bash | 175-1 | 99-1 | ||
| Crupi | 100-1 | 175-1 | ||
| Jungfrau | 150-1 | 175-1 | ||
| Scoobie Quando | 175-1 | 80-1 | ||
| Carmel Road | 200-1 | |||
| Dubyuhnell | 75-1 | 75-1 | 200-1 | 80-1 |
| Eyeing Clover | 200-1 | |||
| Funtastic Again | 150-1 | 200-1 | ||
| Harlocap | 125-1 | 200-1 | ||
| King Russell | 200-1 | |||
| Mr. Ripple | 135-1 | 125-1 | 200-1 | |
| Kangaroo Court (g) | 135-1 | 225-1 | 200-1 | |
| Mendelssohns March | 225-1 | 99-1 | ||
| Arabian Lion | 90-1 | 250-1 | ||
| Banishing | 50-1 | 250-1 | ||
| Classic Catch | 150-1 | 250-1 | ||
| Giant Mischief | 250-1 | 60-1 | ||
| Interlock Empire | 250-1 | |||
| Lugan Knight | 250-1 | |||
| Tapit Shoes | 125-1 | 250-1 | 100-1 | |
| Wadsworth (g) | 250-1 | |||
| General Banker | 150-1 | 275-1 | 200-1 | |
| Shadow Dragon | 275-1 | 99-1 | ||
| Arctic Arrogance | 150-1 | 275-1 | 300-1 | 80-1 |
| Bromley | 200-1 | 300-1 | ||
| Event Detail | 300-1 | |||
| Fort Warren | 125-1 | 275-1 | 300-1 | |
| General Jim | 300-1 | |||
| Genius Jimmy | 300-1 | |||
| Hayes Strike | 300-1 | 80-1 | ||
| Lord Miles | 175-1 | 300-1 | ||
| Prairie Hawk | 300-1 | 200-1 | ||
| *All other 3-year-olds | 15-1 | |||
| *KDFW only | ||||
| (g) gelding |