Edited Churchill Staff Release –Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool with up to 40 betting interests, including the popular “All Others” option, will open Tuesday and close Thursday in advance of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships’ Future Stars Friday.
Track officials will release the field for Pool 1 following the conclusion of Sunday’s “Stars of Tomorrow I” at Churchill Downs – the Fall Meet opening day showcase of 2-year-olds.
The three-day pool, which features $2 Win and Exacta wagering, will open Tuesday at noon (all times Eastern) and close Thursday at 6 p.m.
Inaugurated in 1999, the Kentucky Derby Future Wagers provide fans of Thoroughbred racing with opportunities to place bets on possible entrants in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) at odds that could be far greater and more attractive than those available on the day of the race. The 150th running of Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest race and the first leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Churchill Downs.
All told, there are six Future Wager pools scheduled in advance of the 2024 Kentucky Derby: Oct. 31-Nov. 2 (Pool 1); Nov. 23-26 (Pool 2); Jan. 19-21 (Pool 3); Feb. 16-18 (Pool 4); March 15-17 (Pool 5); and April 4-6 (Pool 6). The Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which debuted in 2015 and requires bettors to wager on the winning sire for next year’s Kentucky Derby winner, will be held concurrently with Pool 2 on Nov. 23-26. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5 on March 15-17.
As was the case for the last two years, Pool 1 will assume that horses under the care of trainers suspended from competing in the 2024 Kentucky Derby will not be under consideration. Instead, they will be included within the pari-mutuel field
