LOUISVILLE, KY – Eight weeks in advance of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the pari-mutuel field of “All Other 3-Year-Olds” closed as the 4-1 favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW).
Four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert’s late-blooming Justify, who improved his record to 2-for-2 on Sunday with a 6 1/2-length romp in a first-level allowance at Santa Anita, closed as the surprise 6-1 second choice.
Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie, the clear but controversial 1-2 finishers in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, were the third and fourth wagering choices at 7-1 and 9-1, respectively.
“All Other 3-Year-Olds” has closed as the March future pool favorite in 13 of the last 16 years. The three exceptions were Mohaymen (7-2 in 2016), Uncle Mo (3-1 in 2011), and Pyro (4-1 in 2018). None won the Kentucky Derby.
Justify, winner of his 7-furlong career debut on February 18, is attempting to buck one of the last so-called Derby “rules” that’s rarely challenged. “The Curse of Apollo” is named for the only Kentucky Derby winner to win the “Run for the Roses” without racing as a 2-year-old, a feat that he accomplished in 1882. The record of horses in the Derby without a race at 2 since 1937 is 61-0-3-5. During that span, the only horses to finish in the Derby Top 3 without racing at 2 were runner-ups:
- Coaltown (1948)
- Strodes Creek (1994)
- Bodemeister (2012)
and third-place finishers:
- Hampden (1946)
- Agitate (1974)
- Reinvested (1982)
- Curlin (2007)
- Battle of Midway (2017)
Following Sunday’s win in 1:35.73 for one mile over a muddy surface, jockey Mike Smith was extremely impressed by Justify.
“For a young horse, he has a great mind,” Smith said. “That might allow him to catch up even sooner than a normal horse, because of his talent and the mind to go with it. … I hate to compare him to other horses right now, but doesn’t he remind you of an Easy Goer way back in the day? Just a big ol’ red horse with a big, powerful stride.”
Other horses that attracted interest from bettors in the KDFW Pool 3 were the 2-Year-Old Champion Male and the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic (11-1); the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes winner Audible (13-1); and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Solomini (17-1), scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Results of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 are as follows (in alphabetical order):
| # | HORSE NAME | ODDS | GROSS WIN POOL | FINAL $ ODDS | $2 PAYOFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audible | 13 | $16,347.92 | 13.00 | $28.00 |
| 2 | Avery Island | 29 | $7,404.98 | 29.90 | $61.80 |
| 3 | Bolt d'Oro | 7 | $27,930.66 | 7.10 | $16.20 |
| 4 | Bravazo | 40 | $5,581.72 | 40.00 | $82.00 |
| 5 | Catholic Boy | 21 | $10,075.62 | 21.70 | $45.40 |
| 6 | Combatant | 57 | $3,943.86 | 57.00 | $116.00 |
| 7 | Flameaway | 31 | $6,976.98 | 31.80 | $65.60 |
| 8 | Free Drop Billy | 44 | $4,985.26 | 44.90 | $91.80 |
| 9 | Gold Town (GB) | 52 | $4,281.78 | 52.40 | $106.80 |
| 10 | Good Magic | 11 | $18,110.88 | 11.60 | $25.20 |
| 11 | Instilled Regard | 41 | $5,428.18 | 41.10 | $84.20 |
| 12 | Justify | 6 | $31,671.46 | 6.20 | $14.40 |
| 13 | Kanthaka | 57 | $3,928.14 | 57.20 | $116.40 |
| 14 | Magnum Moon | 25 | $8,540.40 | 25.80 | $53.60 |
| 15 | McKinzie | 9 | $21,983.76 | 9.40 | $20.80 |
| 16 | Mendelssohn | 28 | $7,680.56 | 28.80 | $59.60 |
| 17 | My Boy Jack | 31 | $6,958.36 | 31.80 | $65.60 |
| 18 | Noble Indy | 60 | $3,739.88 | 60.20 | $122.40 |
| 19 | Promises Fulfilled | 24 | $8,915.18 | 24.60 | $51.20 |
| 20 | Solomini | 17 | $12,281.50 | 17.60 | $37.20 |
| 21 | Sporting Chance | 39 | $5,695.44 | 39.10 | $80.20 |
| 22 | Strike Power | 56 | $3,968.72 | 56.60 | $115.20 |
| 23 | Vino Rosso | 39 | $5,691.06 | 39.20 | $80.40 |
| 24 | Mutuel Field (All Others) | 4 | $45,347.10 | 4.00 | $10.00 |
The total handle for the March 9-11 KDFW pool – the third of four wagering pools in advance of the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby – was $394,763 ($277,469 in the Win pool and $117,294 in Exactas), a 5.7% increase from last year’s $373,354 ($250,280 in the Win pool and $123,075 in Exactas).
There’s just one more remaining 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool: April 6-8 (KDFW Pool 4). For more information about these future pools or past pool results, visit our official Kentucky Derby Future Wager page.
