One year after Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert secured a record-equaling sixth Kentucky Derby victory, Baffert trainees were prominent in the betting in 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2.
Held from Jan. 22-24, Pool 2 attracted $240,768 in win bets, with the five-strong Baffert brigade responsible for $54,486 (22.6%) of the total. While the popular All Other 3-Year-Olds option was favored as expected at 9-5, Baffert’s undefeated Life Is Good maintained his status as the individual favorite, settling at 7-1.
An exciting son of Into Mischief, Life Is Good had previously closed as the 5-1 individual favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1. A surprisingly narrow victory in the Jan. 2 Sham (G3) may have prompted Life Is Good’s odds to drift higher in Pool 2, but bettors still preferred the Baffert star over undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner (G1) Essential Quality, a Brad Cox trainee who closed at 8-1 for the second straight pool.
In addition to Life Is Good, Baffert was represented in Pool 2 by the unraced Bezos (26-1), the impressive maiden winner Concert Tour (16-1), the Sham runner-up Medina Spirit (24-1), and the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Spielberg (47-1).
Essential Quality’s stablemate Caddo River, whose runaway victory in Friday’s Smarty Jones S. came in the midst of Pool 2, received plenty of support to close as the 13-1 individual third choice. Fellow Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race winners Capo Kane (66-1), Jackie’s Warrior (23-1), Keepmeinmind (19-1), Midnight Bourbon (26-1), and Senor Buscador (34-1) also received their fair share of attention, though bettors were just as keen to back the flashy maiden winner Prime Factor (21-1).
Rounding out the wagering options were Fire At Will (45-1), Greatest Honour (40-1), Highly Motivated (24-1), Hot Rod Charlie (40-1), Mandaloun (42-1), Mutasaabeq (47-1), Olympiad (64-1), Prate (48-1), Proxy (76-1), and Wipe the Slate (87-1).
| PROGRAM | HORSE NAME |
ODDS | |
| 1 | Bezos | 26-1 | |
| 2 | Caddo River | 13-1 | |
| 3 | Capo Kane | 66-1 | |
| 4 | Concert Tour | 16-1 | |
| 5 | Essential Quality | 8-1 | |
| 6 | Fire At Will | 45-1 | |
| 7 | Greatest Honour | 40-1 | |
| 8 | Highly Motivated | 24-1 | |
| 9 | Hot Rod Charlie | 40-1 | |
| 10 | Jackie’s Warrior | 23-1 | |
| 11 | Keepmeinmind | 19-1 | |
| 12 | Life Is Good | 7-1 | |
| 13 | Mandaloun | 42-1 | |
| 14 | Medina Spirit | 24-1 | |
| 15 | Midnight Bourbon | 26-1 | |
| 16 | Mutasaabeq | 47-1 | |
| 17 | Olympiad | 64-1 | |
| 18 | Prate | 48-1 | |
| 19 | Prime Factor | 21-1 | |
| 20 | Proxy | 76-1 | |
| 21 | Senor Buscador | 34-1 | |
| 22 | Spielberg | 47-1 | |
| 23 | Wipe the Slate | 87-1 | |
| 24 | All Other Three Year Olds | 9-5 | |
The exacta pool drew $81,267, with the combination of “All Other 3-Year-Olds” over Essential Quality favored with an anticipated payoff of $37.00 for $2. All told, Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 attracted $322,035 in bets, the lowest total for this pool since the inaugural offering in 1999 drew $267,748.
