Unbeaten Justify Surprise 6-1 Second Choice in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3

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.

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