'All Others' favored in opening pool of Derby Future Wager

Churchill Downs' 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) begins its 11th year

on Thursday when the first of its three betting pools opens with the mutuel

field, or "all others," as the favored betting interest.

Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed the "all others"

betting interest as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Pool 1, which opens at noon

(EST) on Thursday and concludes at 6 p.m. on Sunday. But that's hardly a

surprise as the mutuel field has been favored in the KDFW's opening pool in each

of the first 10 years of the Derby Future bet. Fans often opt for the "all

others" bet rather than make a commitment to an individual horse so early in the

Derby campaign and this year's group of contenders seems more wide-open than

most.

Among individual horses, Fox Hill Farm's OLD FASHIONED (Unbridled's Song),

winner of last fall's Remsen S. (G2) at Aqueduct, and Joseph Rauch and David

Zell's CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN (Candy Ride [Arg]), winner of the recent Hutcheson S.

(G2) at Gulfstream Park and the Iroquois S. (G3) at Churchill Downs, are

co-favored individual interests at 10-1. That duo is followed by a closely

matched group of young stars at 12-1 that consists of 2008 two-year-old champion

MIDSHIPMAN (Unbridled's Song); STARDOM BOUND (Tapit), the only filly among the

individual betting interests and last year's champion two-year-old of her

gender; Lecomte S. (G3) and Risen Star S. (G2) winner FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy);

CashCall Futurity (G1) and Robert B. Lewis (G2) hero PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire

Maker); Champagne S. (G1) victor VINEYARD HAVEN (Lido Palace [Chi]); and THIS

ONES FOR PHIL (Untuttable), winner of the Sunshine Millions Dash. This Ones For

Phil is the lone member of Pool 1 that is not yet nominated to the Kentucky

Derby and the Triple Crown.

Other major contenders in the first of this year's KDFW pools include

BEETHOVEN (Sky Mesa) and GIANT OAK (Giant's Causeway), the 1-2 finishers in last

fall's Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs. Both are listed at 15-1.

Kentucky Derby fans will be hoping for a generous return on their wager in

Pool 1 that would rival the opening pool of 2003, which saw Derby winner Funny

Cide return $188 for a $2 Derby Future bet in Pool 1. The Sackatoga Stable star

paid $27.60 for a $2 win bet on Kentucky Derby Day. 

Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is a $2 minimum wager and a "win"

bet only. Betting interests in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools are

selected by a panel that includes Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form national

handicapper; Brad Free, West Coast correspondent for the Daily Racing Form; and

John Asher, vice president of racing communications at Churchill Downs.

A total of $1,056,520 was wagered on the three Kentucky Derby Future Wager

pools in 2008 as total betting on the wager topped the $1 million mark for the

ninth consecutive time in its 10-year history. KDFW Pool 2 is scheduled for

March 12-15, and the third and final pool will be conducted April 2-5.

2009

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1

(f) denotes filly

(g) -- gelding

* -- Not nominated to Triple Crown