LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Kentucky Derby is now less than two months away, and Churchill Downs is giving bettors another chance to try to pick the winner early.
The fifth pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager opens Friday at noon and runs through Sunday evening, allowing fans to place advance bets on horses expected to compete in the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2.
The early favorite in the pool is Paladin, listed at 5-1 after his victory in the Risen Star Stakes. The son of Gun Runner is expected to make his final Derby prep in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 4.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
A total of 39 individual horses are listed in the wagering pool, along with a 40th option — “All Other 3-Year-Olds,”which covers any Derby hopeful not currently named in the field.
Among the other leading betting interests are Commandment (6-1), winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and Nearly (8-1), who captured the Holy Bull Stakes earlier this winter.
Future wager pools allow bettors to lock in odds weeks before the Derby field is finalized — often at prices far different from those available on race day. The trade-off is risk: there are no refunds if a horse fails to make the Derby starting gate.
Churchill Downs is also offering the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager this weekend. The early favorite for the May 1 race is Zany (3-1), an undefeated daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah whose victories include the Demoiselle Stakes and Suncoast Stakes.
Other prominent Oaks contenders include Bella Ballerina (6-1), Explora (10-1) and She Be Smooth (10-1).
The Derby future wager pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m., while the Oaks pool remains open until 6:30 p.m.
One final Derby future wager pool is scheduled for April 2–4, just weeks before the Run for the Roses.
DERBY TROPHY ON DISPLAY: Churchill Downs and Kroger will offer the local community two more opportunities to take photos with the trophy for the 152nd running of the Derby.
The next showing will be Friday, April 3 from 3-6:30 p.m. at the Beulah location (6745 Beulah Church Rd.). The last will be Thursday, April 9 from 3-6:30 p.m. at the Dixie location (4915 Dixie Hwy.)
THE LEADERBOARD, HEADING INTO THE MAJOR PREPS: With the prep season entering its most important stretch, here's what the projected Kentucky Derby field looks like.
Based on the latest Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Paladin leads the standings with 60 points, followed by The Puma (56) and a group tied at 50 points: Silent Tactic, Class President, Commandment, Iron Honor and Potente.
Also currently inside the projected Derby field of 20 are Chip Honcho (39), Further Ado (35), Golden Tempo (35), Litmus Test (34), Renegade (25), Chief Wallabee (25), Robusta (25), Intrepido (23), Universe (23), Pavlovian (20), Express Kid (20), Nearly (20) and Talk to Me Jimmy (20).
Just outside the field at the moment are Great White, Bravaro, Soldier N Diplomat, Secured Freedom and Napoleon Solo, currently ranking 21st through 25th in the standings.
One horse who would currently fit inside the Derby field is Crown the Buckeye, who has 28 points — good enough for 11th place — but not yet nominated for the Triple Crown.
Change, however, is coming. The biggest races on the Derby trail — including the Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby, Arkansas Derby, Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and Wood Memorial — are still ahead, offering 100 qualifying points to the winner, enough to dramatically reshape the leaderboard in the weeks ahead.
The Virginia Derby is set to be run Saturday at Colonial Downs, the last of the 50-point prep races. The Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, the first of the 100-point races, will follow on March 21.
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