California Chrome Tabbed in Derby Future Pool

With less than six weeks to go until the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), the fourth and final pool of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager will open March 27 with fast-rising West Coast star California Chrome (#5) as the narrow morning-line favorite over East Coast standout Cairo Prince (#4).  

Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia installed California Chrome as the 5-1 choice in his morning-line odds for the fourth Kentucky Derby futures poolm just ahead of the 6-1 odds he assigned Cairo Prince.



Those individual stars were rated just above the mutuel field (#24), which consists of all 3-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses on the Pool 4 betting roster. The favorite in the three previous KDFW pools leading up to the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby, "All Others" is rated the 8-1 third choice in Battaglia's early odds.

Trained by veteran Art Sherman, favored California Chrome collected his third consecutive win in a 7 1/4-length triumph March 8 in the San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita Park. The California-bred colt will run next in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). Cairo Prince rolled to his third victory in four races on Jan. 25 in a 5 3/4-length romp in the Holy Bull (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee is set for a final Kentucky Derby prep in the Florida Derby (gr. I) March 29 at the same track.  

Wagering on Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will open at noon (all times Eastern) Thursday and conclude at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 29. Wagering will conclude prior to Saturday's North American stops on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" Championship Series: the Florida Derby (gr. I) and Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. A third prep, the United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-II) at Dubai's Meydan Racecourse, will be run earlier in the day.

Members of Pool 4 that were not wagering interests in Pool 3 include Rebel (gr. II) winner Hoppertunity (#10), Sunland Derby (gr. III) winner Chitu (#7) and runner-up Midnight Hawk (#13), Spiral (gr. III) winner We Miss Artie (#22), Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) winner Ring Weekend (#15), Gotham (gr. III) third-place finisher In Trouble (#11), Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. I) third-place finisher Bobby's Kitten (#3), Rebel third Ride On Curlin (#14), and unbeaten Social Inclusion (#17). Chitu, We Miss Artie, and Social Inclusion are first-time wagering interests not included in any of this season's three previous pools.