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Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Final Odds for Pools 1 and 2

The Road to Kentucky Derby 143 continues this weekend with three races that are worth points towards a place in the starting gate on May 6.

Classic Empire currently sits atop the Leaderboard 10 points ahead of Gormley and 16 points ahead of Practical Joke.
kentucky-derby-2017-leaderboard

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools

If you like to get involved early on in the who’s who of Kentucky Derby hopefuls, the Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools offer a chance to get a solid price on a horse that otherwise might be the favorite on Derby Day.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools 1 and 2 have closed but you’ll still have a chance to place a bet in Pool 3 which runs from February 24 – 26, 2017, and Pool 4 which opens on March 31 and closes on April 2, 2017.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 Prices

As is most often the case, the “field” usually opens and closes as the favorite in Pool 1, and the field for the 2017 Kentucky Derby was no different when the windows closed for betting in Pool 1 on November 27, 2016.

Classic Empire closed at almost 7 to 1 and will payout $15.60 to his early backers if he runs and wins on May 6.

Of the horses currently in the top 10 on the leaderboard, only El Areeb (10th) was not available as in individual runner in Pool 1. If he were to win those who bet the “field” would get $4.40 back on a $2 wager.

Of the other 8 currently in the top 10, Gormley (2nd) closed at 37 to 1, Practical Joke (3rd) closed at 26 to 1, and Uncontested (4th) closed at a whopping 76 to 1.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 Prices

Pool 2 closed on Sunday, January 29 with Classic Empire favored at a little more than 5 to 1, and the field closing at a solid 5 to 2.

5 to 2 seems like a nice price on the field, but the chances of there being a horse who hasn’t ‘hit the road’ yet is slim to none.

El Areeb, who was 6 to 5 as part of the field in Pool 1 before he won the G3 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, could have been bet at 32 to 1 in Pool 2 – a nice price if  you like him.

Gormley, Practical Joke, and Uncontested all closed lower in Pool 2 with Uncontested taking the biggest hit dropping to 25 to 1 after his win in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn on January 16.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3

Pool 3 runs the weekend of February 24 – 26, 2017 which is good because there are a ton of prep races that will run before Pool 3 closes.

There are three races on Saturday, February 4, 2017 that offer qualifying points to the first four finishers of the:

  • Withers – Aqueduct
  • Holy Bull – Gulfstream Park
  • Robert B. Lewis – Santa Anita Park

Entries and post positions for all three races will be drawn later in the week with Classic Empire scheduled to make his 2017 debut in the Holy Bull.

We’ll have updated information on these three Kentucky Derby prep races after the draw.