Midland’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager advice: Bet the Bafferts

With Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool 4 set to close Sunday, we have another good opportunity to make some money. Although we have seen a few more prep races the last couple weekends, my advice right now is to bet the field, which was a lucrative 3-1 in the final hours of betting.

Why? Because the field gets you all of Bob Baffert's horses, who are not listed individually in this pool because of the trainer's suspension. You might get you as many as 10 horses in the gate on Derby day at 3-1.

With the Baffert horses, we get Arabian Knight (7-1 best price in Vegas), Faustin (20-1), National Treasure (25-1), Cave Rock (30-1) and Hejazi (40-1). That's a lot of potential contenders, but that doesn't even consider ones that might still be in the barn. Keep in mind that Justify debuted on Feb. 18 of his 3-year-old year.

Other horses in the field, along with their Vegas odds, include Extra Añejo (50-1); Loggins (50-1); Everso Mischievous (75-1), a hyped Brad Cox maiden who debuted and ran second Saturday at Aqueduct; and Geaux Rocket Ride (35-1), a debut winner at Santa Anita for Richard Mandella.

Looking historically at last year's February pool, 23 individual horses were listed in the future wager and only eight of the 23, or 35 percent, made the Derby gate, including Barber Road, Classic Causeway, Epicenter, Mo Donegal, Simplification, Smile Happy, White Abarrio and Zandon.

This year features 39 individual betting interests. Let's say another four make it to the Derby. That would be 12 of 20 if there's a full gate in the Derby, leaving you with 8 of 20 runners from the field in pool 4.

So keep in mind if you bet the field at 3-1 or 7-2, not only could you end up with one of the favorites at a similar price, but you could have several other horses whom you don't have to cover on Derby day, as we never know when the next Rich Strike will come.

Here is the Future Wager field with morning-line odds: