Wood Memorial Winner I Want Revenge Is New Choice Heading Into Final Day of Derby Future Bet

Apr 06, 2009 John Asher

A Saturday that featured three major prep races for the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) ended with a new favorite in the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2009 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ('KDFW') as a dazzling win in Aqueduct's Wood Memorial propelled I Want Revenge into the pool's top spot.

David Lanzman and IEAH Stables' 3-year-old son of Stephen Got Even overcame a slow start and major traffic problems to score a dramatic victory under Joe Talamo in the 1 1/8-mile Wood and saw his KDFW Pool 3 odds drop to 9-2 by the end of the day's betting.  He had opened the day at 10-1.  Florida Derby (GI) winner Quality Road, the favorite through the first two days of the four-day pool, was the second choice at 6-1 and Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Friesan Fire was a close third choice at 7-1.

The day's other major Kentucky Derby prep races featured victories by odds-on favorite Pioneeerof the Nile in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) and Musket Man in the Illinois Derby (GII) at Hawthorne Park.  Pioneerof the Nile was the 11-1 fourth choice after Saturday's Pool 3 betting, while Musket Man's odds stood at 33-1, a considerable drop from his 96-1 odds that were in place at the start of the day's betting.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager, now in its 11th year, provides offers Derby fans the opportunity to bet on contenders for the 135th renewal of the Kentucky Derby at odds that could be more attractive than those available when the race is run on May 2 at Churchill Downs.  Along with the Future Wager's traditional $2 'win' bet, this year's third pool is only the second in history to offer exacta wagering.  Both the KDFW 'win' bet and its exacta wager require a $2 minimum bet.  There are no scratches or refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

A total of $217,791 has been wagered during the first three days of Pool 3, which pushed the total betting for all three 2009 KDFW pools to $1,076,932.  That marks the tenth consecutive year in which total wagering in the three Derby Future pools has surpassed the $1 million mark.  Exacta betting in Pool 3 stood at $53,960 heading into Sunday's final day of Derby Future betting.  Betting in KDFW Pool 3 resumes at noon (all times EDT) on Sunday, April 5 and the pool will close at 6 p.m.

Real time odds, exacta payouts and other information on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available on the official event Web site at www.kentuckyderby.com.