Churchill Downs News Release: First Kentucky Derby Future Wager of the Year Opens Thursday

By Darren Rogers —-

FIRST KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER OF YEAR OPENS THURSDAY;
INDEPENDENCE HALL, STORM THE COURT LISTED AT 12-1 ON MORNING LINE

Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager Also On Tap; Both Pools Close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Monday, Nov. 25, 2019) – Unbeaten Nashua Stakes (Grade III) winner Independence Hall and upset Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Storm the Court are among the 24 betting interests in Pool 1 of the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which kicks off a four-day run at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day.

Both Independence Hall and Storm the Court were made 12-1 individual co-favorites on veteran odds maker Mike Battaglia’s morning line. The pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” is expected to be the overall first-pool favorite for the 22nd consecutive year and Battaglia projects it to close as the 6-5 choice.

In addition to Independence Hall and Storm the Court, other promising juveniles expected to attract attention at the betting windows include Dennis’ Moment (15-1), the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite who finished sixth after going to his knees at the start; impressive Breeders’ Futurity (GI) winner Maxfield (15-1); runaway Champagne (GI) winner Tiz the Law (20-1), who’ll headline Saturday’s $300,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs; and Honor A.P. (20-1), a swift maiden winner who is expected to make his next start in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (GII) on Dec. 7.

Here’s the complete Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 field (with trainer and morning line odds): #1 American Theorem (George Papaprodromou, 50-1); #2 Anneau d’Or (Blaine Wright, 20-1); #3 Answer In (Brad Cox, 50-1); #4 Authentic (20-1, Bob Baffert); #5 Basin (Steve Asmussen, 15-1); #6 Dennis’ Moment (Dale Romans, 15-1); #7 Eight Rings (Baffert, 15-1); #8 Gouverneur Morris (Todd Pletcher, 20-1); #9 Great Power (Simon Callaghan, 50-1); #10 Green Light Go (Jimmy Jerkens, 50-1); #11 High Velocity (Baffert, 20-1); #12 Honor A. P. (John Shirreffs, 20-1); #13 Independence Hall (Mike Trombetta, 12-1); #14 Maxfield (Brendan Walsh, 15-1); #15 Scabbard (Eddie Kenneally, 50-1); #16 South Bend (Stan Hough, 30-1); #17 Storm the Court (Peter Eurton, 12-1); #18 Structor (Chad Brown, 20-1); #19 Thousand Words (Baffert, 15-1); #20 Three Technique (Jeremiah Englehart, 50-1); #21 Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg, 20-1); #22 Wrecking Crew (Peter Miller, 50-1); #23 “All 3-Year-Old Fillies” (30-1); and #24 “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” (6-5).

The pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, opens Thursday and will close Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered concurrently with the fifth annual Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which provides bettors with a unique opportunity to wager on select breeding stars and their entire crop of juveniles with the hope of winning next year’s Kentucky Derby.

Offspring sired by Constitution – including Independence Hall, Tiz the Law and Breeders’ Futurity (GI) runner-up Gouverneur Morris – are 6-1 on the morning line for the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. Offspring sired by popular 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah are listed at 8-1.

Here’s the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager field (with morning line odds): #1 American Pharoah (8-1); #2 Bernardini (30-1); #3 Bodemeister (20-1); #4 Candy Ride (ARG) (20-1); #5 Constitution (6-1); #6 Curlin (12-1); #7 Declaration of War (30-1); #8 Empire Maker (20-1); #9 Hard Spun (30-1); #10 Honor Code (30-1); #11 Into Mischief (20-1); #12 Liam’s Map (30-1); #13 Medaglia d’Oro (20-1); #14 More Than Ready (30-1); #15 Pioneerof the Nile (20-1); #16 Quality Road (20-1); #17 Shackleford (30-1); #18 Speightstown (30-1); #19 Street Sense (15-1); #20 Tapit (12-1); #21 Tiznow (15-1); #22 Uncle Mo (20-1); #23 Union Rags (20-1); and #24 “All Other Sires” (4-1).

This marks the seventh consecutive year that Churchill Downs has hosted Future Wager pools in November on closing weekend of its Fall Meet. “All Other 3-Year-Olds” has won four of the last six years: California Chrome ($3.20 in 2014), Always Dreaming ($4.40 in 2017), Justify ($4.40) and Country House ($4.60). An early Pool 1 win bet on eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah netted $27.60 in 2015, and Nyquist’s 2016 Derby victory resulted in a $21.80 payoff.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) at odds that could be far greater and more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 146th running of Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 2, 2020 at Churchill Downs.

Bets can be placed at Churchill Downs Racetrack, TwinSpires.com and other online wagering outlets and satellite wagering centers across North America.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager and Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager combined to handle $291,313 in 2018. Pool 1 of the Future Wager totaled $258,389 ($186,470 in the Win pool and $71,919 in Exactas). The Sire Future Wager handled $32,924 ($21,065 in the Win pool and $11,859 in the Exactas).

There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week’s four-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.

More information, Brisnet.com past performances and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be available before the pool opens Thursday online at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager.

Dates for the remaining 2020 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks future pools are Feb. 7-9 (Pool 2), March 6-8 (Pool 3) and April 3-5 (Pool 4). The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with the Derby’s Pool 3 on March 6-8.