Verrazano passes mutuel field during Day 2 wagering

Trainer Todd Pletcher's unbeaten Verrazano (#20), the favored individual

horse in the first two pools of Churchill Downs' 2013 Kentucky Derby Future

Wager (KDFW), is one day away from being the overall

fans' choice in the year's final Derby Future Pool.

The bay son of More Than Ready was the 6-1

favorite among 24 betting interests heading into Sunday's final day of betting

in the third Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool of 2013 and has a little

cushion over the "All Others" (#24) interest, the favorite in the first two

pools of 2013. That always popular betting interest was the 8-1 second choice

when day two betting concluded Saturday evening.

Friday's opening day of the Derby Future Pool 3 had ended

with Verrazano as the favorite, but the colt -- one of five Pool 3 betting

interests trained by Pletcher -- was in a virtual deadlock with the mutuel

field, which includes all three-year-olds other than the 23 individual horses in the

pool. Each stood at odds of 5-1, but Verrazano held a razor-thin edge in total

betting.

Wagering in Pool 3 resumed at noon (EDT) on Sunday and concludes at 6 p.m.

Total wagering over two days of KDFW Pool 3 stood at

$195,404 heading into Sunday's finale. Of that total, $129,503 had been wagered

to win along with $65,901 in exacta bets. Grade 3 Holy Bull winner Itsmyluckyday

(#7) was a close third choice at 10-1 and Grade 3 Withers victor Revolutionary

(#16) was next at 11-1 in tightly-bunched top group.

Derby hopefuls lined up behind the top four wagering

choices Saturday evening were bunched as tightly as the first four. Grade 2

heroes Orb (#12) and Vyjack (#21) both stood

at 12-1, with Orb holding a narrow edge in total betting. Reigning two-year-old

champion Shanghai Bobby (#18) was a 14-1 shot, with Grade 2 San Felipe scorer Hear

the Ghost (#6) next at 15-1 and fellow Pool 3 newcomer War Academy (#22) strongly

backed at 16-1.

The D. Wayne Lukas-trained Oxbow (#14) and trainer Bob Baffert's

Flashback (#4) were next at 18-1 and Normandy Invasion (#11) was a 19-1 risk.

The Lukas-trained Will Take Charge (#23), winner of last week's Grade 2 Rebel at

Oaklawn Park, was also a 19-1 risk.

War Academy and Flashback are two of five Pool 3 horses

trained by Baffert.

The KDFW offers racing fans an

opportunity to bet on potential contenders for the famed "Run for the Roses"

well in advance of the race at odds that could be significantly more attractive

than those available in betting on Kentucky Derby Day.

Each Kentucky Derby Future pool offers $2 minimum win

betting and exacta wagering, which is available in the form of $2 minimum

straight exacta bets or $1-minimum exacta boxes and part-wheels. No scratches or

betting refunds are permitted in the KDFW, but betting on an

individual horse will be suspended immediately if Churchill Downs determines

that an injury, illness or other circumstance revealed during the pool would

prevent that horse from competing in the Kentucky Derby.

Betting on the 2013 Kentucky Derby Future Wager is offered

by racetracks and off-track betting centers throughout North America. The bet is

also available online at TwinSpires.com, the official online wagering site of

Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, and other advance deposit wagering

platforms.

Information on the Kentucky Derby is available online at

the official event Web site at

KentuckyDerby.com and KDFW real-time odds will be presented on that website throughout Pool 3.

The 139th running of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 4 at Churchill Downs.

KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER

POOL 3

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com