American Pharoah closes as 5-1 favorite in KDFW Pool 4

American Pharoah will race into the Derby the favorite in Pool 4 of the KDFW (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography) Despite bobbling at the start and dislodging his right front shoe, champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) (#1) made his sophomore debut a dominating 6 1/4-length romp in the March 14 Rebel S. (G2) at Oaklawn Park, and that helped propel the Bob Baffert trainee to close out the fourth and final pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) as the 5-1 favorite. Opening as the 9-2 favorite in Pool 4, American Pharoah will pay $13 for a $2 wager if he wins the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. The bay opened and closed at the same odds in all three of the previous KDFW — Pool 1 (12-1), Pool 2 (10-1) and Pool 3 (8-1) — but was never favored, except as an individual interest in Pool 3, until wagering came to an end on Sunday in Pool 4. Undefeated Grade 1 hero Dortmund (Big Brown) (#7), another Baffert trainee, is the second favorite in Pool 4 at 6-1. The chestnut most recently took the San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita Park on March 7 and is five-for-five lifetime. American Pharoah and Dortmund will make their final Kentucky Derby (G1) preps in different places, with the former heading to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on April 11 and the latter going for a sweep of Santa Anita’s major three-year-old stakes in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby (G1) next Saturday on April 4.

Mubtaahij (Dubawi) (#20), a new wagering interest in the KDFW, was the only
other one to close at single-digit odds in Pool 4. The Irish-bred saw his 30-1
morning-line plummet to 8-1 by Future Wager close after romping by eight lengths
in Saturday’s U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) on the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) undercard at
Meydan.

The mutuel field or “All Other 3YOs (#24),” a perennial favorite in the KDFW,
opened at 8-1 in Pool 4 and closed at 11-1 to be the fifth choice behind Carpe
Diem (Giant’s Causeway) (#5), who was bet down to 10-1 following his five-length
triumph in the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

Click for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4

final odds and

$2 exacta probables.

Wagering on Pool 4 of the KDFW was offered at Churchill Downs and racetracks
throughout North America; on the web via
TwinSpires.com, the
official online wagering site of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Inc.;
and at other simulcast centers and off-track wagering sites.

No scratches or betting refunds are permitted in the Kentucky Derby Future
Wager, but betting will be suspended immediately on a wagering interest in any
KDFW pool if Churchill Downs determines that injury, illness or other
circumstance revealed during a pool would prevent a horse from competing in the
race.

Brisnet.com offered
free
Ultimate Past Performances for wagering interests in Pool 4 of the Kentucky
Derby Future Wager. Brisnet also has

complimentary past performances for all Triple Crown nominees.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com