LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 13, 2009) – Justwhistledixie, a romping winner in the Davona Dale (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park last time out, remained the surprising favorite over the high-powered duo of champion Stardom Bound and streaking Rachel Alexandra on Friday as Churchill Downs’ 2009 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (“KOFW”) reached the midway point of its four-day run.

West Point Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm and Dee Hubbard’s daughter of Dixie Union remained the 9-5 favorite after two days of betting in the four-day pool. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained filly notched her fourth consecutive victory with her 3 ¾- length victory in the Davona Dale and had entered the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager as a 12-1 risk in Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia’s morning line odds.

There was a shift in odds for the second and third choices in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Pool. Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs and the expected heavy favorite in Saturday’s $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (GII), saw her odds drop from 5-1 to 4-1 during Friday’s betting. Stardom Bound, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2008 and winner of last week’s Santa Anita Oaks (GI), closed at 6-1 on Friday after she had been the the 9-2 second choice in Thursday’s opening day of the pool. The mutuel field, which includes all 3-year-old fillies other than the 23 individual horses on Pool 2’s betting roster, ranked as the 9-1 third choice when Friday’s betting drew to a close.

The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, $2 minimum wager and a “win” bet only, allows fans to wager on contenders for the Kentucky Oaks (GI), America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, at odds that could be more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 135th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) is scheduled for Friday, May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Betting through two days of the 2009 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager totaled $14,759.

Wagering on the Oaks Future Bet is scheduled to resume at noon (all times EDT) on Saturday, March 14. The pool will conclude on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., 30 minutes after the close of betting in Pool 2 of the companion Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Real time odds and other information on the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager are available on the official Kentucky Oaks event Web site at http://www.kentuckyoaks.com.

2009 KENTUCKY OAKS FUTURE WAGER
Number Wagering Interest Morning line odds Day 1 Odds Day 2 Odds
1 Be Fair 20-1 33-1 40-1
2 Bon Jovi Girl 20-1 32-1 22-1
3 Devotee 20-1 99-1 63-1
4 Dream Empress 15-1 40-1 56-1
5 Elusive Heat 10-1 34-1 39-1
6 Empressive Lady 20-1 99-1 99-1
7 Fitz Just Right 20-1 85-1 28-1
8 Four Gifts 20-1 99-1 94-1
9 Frolic’s Dream 20-1 99-1 99-1
10 Haka 30-1 19-1 33-1
11 Just Jenda 20-1 99-1 61-1
12 Justwhistledixie 12-1 9-5 9-5
13 Larah 15-1 31-1 26-1
14 Nan 30-1 71-1 56-1
15 Our Dahlia 30-1 99-1 99-1
16 Persistently 20-1 66-1 57-1
17 Rachel Alexandra 6-1 5-1 4-1
18 Renda 50-1 81-1 99-1
19 Rock Candy 30-1 56-1 79-1
20 Sky Diva 20-1 15-1 28-1
21 Stardom Bound 5-1 9-2 6-1
22 Third Dawn 50-1 97-1 63-1
23 What A Pear 15-1 37-1 33-1
24 Mutuel Field (“All Others”) 10-1 10-1 9-1
Morning Line odds by Mike Battaglia