Forbidden Kingdom, Echo Zulu Favored in Future Wagers
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Forbidden Kingdom wins San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park
The fourth of five pools for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is set for its three-day stand March 11-13, with MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's recent San Felipe Stakes (G2) winner Forbidden Kingdom tabbed by morning-line oddsmaker Mike Battaglia as the 5-1 favorite in the field of 24 betting interests.
Pool 4 of the KDFW will run concurrently with the lone pool of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, where L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' champion Echo Zulu is favored at 4-1. In addition to win and exacta betting, an Oaks/Derby Future Double is part of the wagering menu.
Betting will open Friday at noon ET and the KDFW will close Sunday at 6 p.m. while the KOFW will close 30 minutes later at 6:30 p.m. Betting on the KDFW and KOFW is available at racetracks and simulcast centers around the country and via advance deposit wagering platforms.
The speedy Forbidden Kingdom, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, was the even-money favorite in last Saturday's San Felipe where he dominated six rivals by 5 3/4 lengths. The San Felipe, which serves as the local prep to the $1 million Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 9, was the first time Forbidden Kingdom raced two turns.
Other top individual betting interests in Pool 4 of the KDFW appear to be Winchell Thoroughbreds' Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford winner Epicenter (8-1); Tami Bobo's 3 1/2-length winner of the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) Simplification (12-1); and Lucky Seven Stable's Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) hero Smile Happy (6-1), who closed as the 8-1 individual favorite in the first three pools of the KDFW.
Overall, there are eight new interests in Pool 4: Whisper Hill Farm's 8 1/2-length maiden winner Charge It (30-1); Gold Square's flashy allowance winner Cyberknife (50-1); Aaron Sones' Rebel Stakes (G2) runner-up Ethereal Road (50-1); Diamond T Racing, Blue Lion Thoroughbreds and Craig Taylor's Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Morello (10-1); Sumaya U.S. Stable's Risen Star fourth-place finisher Pioneer of Medina (30-1); Iris Smith Stable's Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) runner-up Shipsational (50-1); Cypress Creek Equine's Rebel winner Un Ojo (50-1); and Barry and Joni Butzow's undefeated Zozos (50-1).
| Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 | ||
| Number | Horse (Trainer) | Odds |
| 1 | Barber Road (John Ortiz) | 50-to-1 |
| 2 | Call Me Midnight (Keith Desormeaux) | 50-to-1 |
| 3 | Charge It (Todd Pletcher) | 30-to-1 |
| 4 | Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch) | 15-to-1 |
| 5 | Cyberknife (Brad Cox) | 50-to-1 |
| 6 | Early Voting (Chad Brown) | 30-to-1 |
| 7 | Emmanuel (Pletcher) | 15-to-1 |
| 8 | Epicenter (Asmussen) | 8-to-1 |
| 9 | Ethereal Road (D. Wayne Lukas) | 50-to-1 |
| 10 | Forbidden Kingdom (Richard Mandella) | 5-to-1 |
| 11 | In Due Time (Kelly Breen) | 30-to-1 |
| 12 | Major General (Pletcher) | 50-to-1 |
| 13 | Mo Donegal (Pletcher) | 12-to-1 |
| 14 | Morello (Asmussen) | 10-to-1 |
| 15 | Pioneer of Medina (Pletcher) | 30-to-1 |
| 16 | Rattle N Roll (Kenny McPeek) | 20-to-1 |
| 17 | Shipsational (Eddie Barker) | 50-to-1 |
| 18 | Simplification (Antonio Sano) | 12-to-1 |
| 19 | Smile Happy (McPeek) | 6-to-1 |
| 20 | Un Ojo (Ricky Courville) | 50-to-1 |
| 21 | White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph Jr.) | 15-to-1 |
| 22 | Zandon (Brown) | 12-to-1 |
| 23 | Zozos (Cox) | 50-to-1 |
| 24 | ”All Other 3-Year-Olds” | 6-to-1 |
In the KOFW, Echo Zulu, trained by Steve Asmussen, is undefeated through four starts including a dominating 5 1/4-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The daughter of Gun Runner has been steadily training at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots toward her 3-year-old debut.
Echo Zulu pulls away in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar
| Kentucky Oaks Future Wager | ||
| Number | Horse (Trainer) | Odds |
| 1 | A Mo Reay (Pletcher) | 30-to-1 |
| 2 | Ain't Easy (Phil D'Amato) | 20-to-1 |
| 3 | Awake At Midnyte (Doug O'Neill) | 20-to-1 |
| 4 | Bernabreezy (Matt Shirer) | 50-to-1 |
| 5 | Bubble Rock (Cox) | 30-to-1 |
| 6 | Classy Edition (Pletcher) | 15-to-1 |
| 7 | Echo Zulu (Asmussen) | 4-to-1 |
| 8 | Fannie and Freddie (Al Stall Jr.) | 30-to-1 |
| 9 | Favor (Pletcher) | 20-to-1 |
| 10 | Goddess of Fire (Pletcher) | 20-to-1 |
| 11 | Hidden Connection (Bret Calhoun) | 50-to-1 |
| 12 | Ice Orchid (Ortiz) | 50-to-1 |
| 13 | Juju's Map (Cox) | 10-to-1 |
| 14 | Kathleen O. (Shug McGaughey) | 8-to-1 |
| 15 | Nest (Pletcher) | 8-to-1 |
| 16 | Nostalgic (Bill Mott) | 20-to-1 |
| 17 | Sandstone (McPeek) | 15-to-1 |
| 18 | Secret Oath (Lukas) | 6-to-1 |
| 19 | Shahama (Pletcher) | 30-to-1 |
| 20 | Turnerloose (Cox) | 15-to-1 |
| 21 | Venti Valentine (Jorge Abreu) | 15-to-1 |
| 22 | Veterans Highway (Rusty Arnold)) | 50-to-1 |
| 23 | Yuugiri (Rodolphe Brisset) | 50-to-1 |
| 24 | ”All Other 3-Year-Old Fillies” | 10-to-1 |
Another filly that is expected to garner betting interest is Briland Farm's Honeybee Stakes (G3) winner Secret Oath (6-1). Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath has won her last three starts by a combined 23 lengths.
Consistent with earlier future wagers conducted by Churchill Downs, no Bob Baffert trainees are among the individual wagering choices in the Derby and Oaks pools. Baffert is currently banned from competing at Churchill Downs Inc.-owned properties through June 2023.
The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at odds potentially greater than those available on the day of the race. The 148th running of Kentucky Derby, America's greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for May 7 at Churchill Downs. The Longines Kentucky Oaks will run one day earlier May 6.
There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby or Oaks Future Wager. Should Churchill Downs officials determine during the duration of this week's four-day pool that one of the wagering interests has experienced an injury, illness or other circumstance that would prevent the horse from participating in the Kentucky Derby or Oaks, betting on the individual horse will be suspended immediately.
More information, Brisnet past performances, and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be available before the pool opens Friday.
VIEW: Kentucky Derby Future Wager Information
Different from the first four pools of the KDFW, the fifth and final Pool 5 will run March 31 and end prior to the first Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series race April 2.