Mott's Flashy Gray Edges 'All Others', Champion Beholder and Unlimited Budget in Oaks Futures

Mar 04, 2013 John Asher

Flashy Gray, a winner of two of three career races for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott but untested in top level competition, emerged as a somewhat surprising fans’ choice over the “All Others” (#24) betting interest, reigning 2-year-old filly champion Beholder (#1) and unbeaten stakes winner Unlimited Budget (#23) when three days of betting concluded early Sunday evening in Churchill Downs’ 2013 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”).

West Point Thoroughbreds and Tom Keithley’s  daughter of Flashy Bull, a 15-1 risk in the morning line odds established by Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia, attracted strong support during the final hours of betting and stood as the 6-1 favorite among 24 betting interests in the three-day pool that closed at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern) Sunday.

Flashy Gray, one of four Mott-trained fillies in the KDFW pool, edged the popular Mutuel Field (#24), or “All Others’, for the position of betting favorite.  That interest, which features all 3-year-old fillies other than the 23 individual horses listed on the pool’s betting roster, closed as the close 7-1 second choice.  Battaglia had installed the “All Others” interest as the 3-1 morning line favorite prior to the pool.

Beholder (#1, 8-1), the winner of the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) who returned to championship form for trainer Richard Mandella in a 5 ¾-length victory in Saturday’s Las Virgenes (GI) at Santa Anita; Unlimited Budget (#23, 9-1)., the Demoiselle (GII) winner who made the recent Rachel Alexandra (GIII) at Fair Grounds her third victory in as many starts for two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Todd Pletcher; and trainer Ken McPeek’s Hollywood Starlet (GI) winner Pure Fun (#15, 10-1), were just behind the top pair when the pool wound to its close.

The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager offers racing fans an opportunity to bet on potential contenders for America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies well in advance of the event at odds that could be significantly more attractive than that that will be available on Oaks Day at Churchill Downs. . The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks will be run for the 139^th consecutive year on Friday, May 3, the eve of the Kentucky Derby. The race will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Kentucky Oaks fans wagered $126,039 in the 2013 pool, a record for the wager in its single-pool format.  The previous standard of $117,368 was established in 2003, the first year in which the Oaks Future bet was offered. The bet expanded to a three-pool format to mirror that of its companion Kentucky Derby Future Wager from 2004-2008, but reverted to its one-pool format in 2009.

Like the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, the Oaks 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 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, but betting on an individual filly 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 Oaks.

The Mott-trained Emollient (#6), runner-up in the Demoiselle (GII) last fall at Aqueduct, was strongly backed on the final day of Oaks Future betting and finished just behind the top group at odds of 11-1.  Other Mott trainees featured in the 2013 Oaks Future bet were Calistoga (#3, 22-1) and Close Hatches (#4, 29-1).

Two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Bob Baffert trains three fillies the Oaks pool: recent maiden winner Midnight Lucky (#14, 16-1), Las Virgenes runner-up Fiftyshadesofhay (#8, 20-1), and Executiveprivilege (#7, 23-1), whose impressive 2-year-old campaign in 2012 included Grade I victories in the Del Mar Debutante and Santa Anita’s Chandelier.

Other fillies that attracted solid support in the just-completed Oaks Future bet included Live Lively (#10, 15-1), winner of the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream Park for trainer Mark Hennig; and the Pletcher-trained duo of Dreaming of Julia (#5, 16-1), winner of Belmont Park’s Frizette (GI) who was second in both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Davona Dale; and Princess of Sylmar (#12, 19-1), whose four-race win streak includes stakes wins in the Busanda and Busher at Aqueduct.

Information on the Kentucky Oaks is available online at the official event Web site at www.KentuckyOaks.com and KOFW real-time odds will be presented on that site throughout the three-day betting pool. 

Click here for closing odds and $2 mutuel will-pays in 2013 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

For a look at $2 exacta payouts for the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, click here.