Game Winner, “All Others” Aim For 3rd Straight Future Wager Favoritism

Trainer Bob Baffert’s undefeated Juvenile champion Game Winner will attempt to be named the individual betting favorite for the third straight time in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager when Pool 3 kicks off on Friday, but this time, he will have to prove it on the track, too.

The multiple graded stakes-winning son of Candy Ride will vie with stablemate Improbable both on and off the track this weekend, as the pair are slated to make their 3-year-old debuts against each other in Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. The morning line odds for Game Winner (5/1) and Improbable (8/1) closely resemble their closing odds from Pool 2 (5/1 and 7/1, respectively). Code of Honor, fresh off of his Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) win last weekend, shares Improbable’s 8/1 morning line odds.

As has been the case since Pool 1 opened last November, “All Other 3-Year-Olds” leads the overall betting at 4/1, a clear indication that bettors are still waiting for a standout to emerge from this crop.

Here is the full menu for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3:

For the one and only time this spring, a Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Pool will be made available concurrently with the Kentucky Derby Future Wager’s Pool 3. Interestingly enough, the overall morning line favorite is the Simon Callaghan-trained Bellafina at 5/1. Four options share second with 8/1 morning lines: Chasing Yesterday, Jaywalk, Restless Rider, and “All Other 3-Year-Old Fillies.” One particular individual betting option raised some eyebrows, as the Chad Brown-trained Dunbar Road – who was not among the early Kentucky Oaks nominees – will not become officially eligible to compete in the Kentucky Oaks until her connections pay the $1,500 supplemental fee.

Here is the full menu for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Pool:

Along with the Kentucky Oaks, bettors will have one chance this weekend to place bets on the Oaks/Derby Future Double. The 2018 Oaks/Derby Future Double of Monomoy Girl and Justify returned $71, more than twice what bettors received ($33.20) the weekend of May 4-5.

Featuring $2 Win and Exacta betting options, the Future Wagers provide opportunities to place bets at odds that could be far greater than those available on Kentucky Derby Day, which is set for Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs. Future Wagers are nonrefundable once the pool period ends. Bets can be placed trackside at Churchill Downs or on a multitude of ADWs. Free past performances for all Future Wager options are available here.

The final 2019 Kentucky Derby Future Wager is scheduled for April 5-7 (Pool 4). Click the links for the results from Pool 1 and Pool 2.

For more information and to see where the top contenders are likely to race next, be sure to check out our Derby Trail Tracker, updated daily.