McCraken, Gunnevera 6-1 Co-Favorites for Final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool

By John Asher —-

UNBEATEN MCCRAKEN, FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH WINNER GUNNEVERA
CO-FAVORED IN FOURTH AND FINAL 2017 KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER POOL

24 Wagering Interests Include Six Newcomers In March 31-April 2 Derby Futures Pool

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Tuesday, March 28, 2017) – Two veterans of this year’s Road to the Kentucky Derby – Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC’s unbeaten McCraken (#15, 6-1) and Peacock Racing Stables LLC’s Gunnevera (#10, 6-1) – are the morning line co-favorites for the fourth and final pool of Churchill Downs Racetrack’s 2017 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”), which launches its three-day run on Friday, March 31.

The Ian Wilkes-trained Sam F. Davis (GIII) winner McCraken and Fountain of Youth (GII) winner Gunnevera, trained by Antonio Sano, are listed at odds of 6-1 in Churchill Downs’ handicapper Mike Battaglia’s morning line for Pool 4. There’s a four-way tie for third choice at 10-1 between KDFW newcomer J Boys Echo (#13), unbeaten Southwest (GIII) winner One Liner (#17), Tampa Bay Derby (GII) winner Tapwrit (#21) and the always-popular Mutuel Field (#24). The latter includes all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses listed on the Pool 4 betting roster, including notable horses such as American Anthem, Blueridge Traveler, Fast and Accurate, Hence, Local Hero, Lookin At Lee, Patch, Petrov, Silver Dust, Sonneteer and Wild Shot to name a few.

The co-favorites have been wagering interests in each of three previous KDFW pools. McCraken’s closing odds in the previous pools were 12-1 (P1), 9-1 (P2) and 6-1 (P3), while Gunnevera’s final odds were 22-1 (P1), 24-1 (P2) and 22-1 (P3). The “All Others” interest closed as the favorite in each of the previous 2017 pools.

Betting in the final KDFW pool of 2017 is set to open at noon (all times EDT) on Friday and continue through Sunday, April 2 at 6 p.m. The wager, which has been offered annually to Kentucky Derby fans since 1999, will be available at racetracks and satellite wagering facilities throughout North America and online at TwinSpires.com and other internet wagering platforms.

The KDFW provides racing fans with the opportunity to wager on contenders for the Kentucky Derby at odds that could be more attractive than those available on the day of America’s greatest race. Payouts in the win and exacta wagering in Pool 4 will be determined by the odds in place at Sunday’s conclusion of wagering.

The KDFW offers $2 minimum win wagering on 24 betting interests that include 23 individual horses and the Mutuel Field, which includes all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the individual wagering interests in a respective pool. Each pool also offers $2 exacta wagering on the 24 wagering interests, with the latter also available in $1 minimum increments in boxes and other multiple number configurations. Total betting in the three 2017 KDFW pools – including both win and exacta pools – stands at $925,197.

The 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), America’s oldest continuously-held sports event, is set for Saturday, May 6 at Churchill Downs and will be televised by NBC.

The final KDFW pool features six horses that are listed for the first time as wagering interests in a 2017 pool and five individuals trained by Todd Pletcher, who won the 2010 “Run for the Roses” with WinStar Farm’s Super Saver.

Leading the Pool 5 newcomers is J Boys Echo, the Dale Romans-trained winner of Aqueduct’s Gotham (GIII), and Godolphin’s Thunder Snow (Ire) (#22, 15-1), the Dubai-based winner of last week’s $2 million UAE Derby (G2). The others are Gotham runner-up Cloud Computing (#5, 15-1); Risen Star (GII) winner Girvin (#7, 30-1), and Battle of Midway (#3, 50-1) and Reach the World (#19, 50-1), the 1-2 finishers in a recent Santa Anita allowance race.

The Pletcher-trained quintet includes One Liner, Tapwrit, Battalion Runner (#2, 30-1), Malagacy (#14, 30-1) and Always Dreaming (#1, 50-1).

The official rules of the KDFW prohibit scratches or refunds. Should Churchill Downs determine that a wagering interest has encountered an injury, illness or other circumstance would prohibit that horse from competing in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, wagering on the individual will be immediately suspended.

Free BRISNET past performance information and real-time odds for both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Future Wagers are available online at: Kentucky Derby.com

2017 Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4
Friday, March 31 – Sunday, April 2

# Wagering Interest Trainer Morning Line Odds Final Odds $2 Win Will Pay

1 Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher 50-1
2 Battalion Runner Todd Pletcher 30-1
3 Battle of Midway* Jerry Hollendorfer 50-1
4 Classic Empire Mark Casse 12-1
5 Cloud Computing* Chad Brown 15-1
6 El Areeb Cal Lynch 30-1
7 Girvin* Joe Sharp 30-1
8 Gormley John Shirreffs 20-1
9 Guest Suite (g) Neil Howard 50-1
10 Gunnevera Antonio Sano 6-1
11 Iliad (r) Doug O’Neill 15-1
12 Irish War Cry Graham Motion 15-1
13 J Boys Echo* Dale Romans 10-1
14 Malagacy Todd Pletcher 30-1
15 McCraken Ian Wilkes 6-1
16 Mo Town Tony Dutrow 50-1
17 One Liner Todd Pletcher 10-1
18 Practical Joke Chad Brown 12-1
19 Reach the World* Bob Baffert 50-1
20 State of Honor Mark Casse 50-1
21 Tapwrit Todd Pletcher 10-1
22 Thunder Snow (Ire)* Saeed bin Suroor 15-1
23 Untrapped Steve Asmussen 50-1
24 Mutuel Field (All Others) 10-1

Morning Line Odds by Mike Battaglia
* – new wagering interest in KDFW Pool 4
(g) – gelding (r)- ridgling

Churchill Downs has presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on May 6, 2017. The track’s 2017 Spring Meet is scheduled for April 29-June 30. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships eight times and the event will return to the track on Nov. 2-3, 2018. Information is available at www.ChurchillDowns.com