Mutuel field leads Future Wager

It was no surprise that bettors would flock to support the mutuel field, or "All Others", wagering interest during the opening hours of 2012's first of three pools of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager, but the fact that once-beaten Union Rags emerged as a strong fans' choice as the favored individual horse to win this year's Run for the Roses might have raised a few eyebrows.

"All Others," the wagering interest that includes all three-year-old Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual betting interests in KDFW Pool 1, was the odds-on choice at 3-5 late Friday evening. However, Union Rags, whose narrow loss to eventual juvenile champion Hansen in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was a clear second choice at 8-1 and the strongly favored individual to win the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5.

It was well back on the Derby Future odds board to unbeaten Grade 3 Holy Bull winner Algorithms, the third betting choice at 17-1, and Alpha, winner of last week's Grade 3 Withers at Belmont Park, was next at 21-1. Hansen, who is coming off his first career loss in a runner-up finish to Algorithms in the January 29 Holy Bull, stood at 24-1 when Friday's betting concluded.

Other individuals that attracted significant Friday interest included Grade 1 Norfolk winner Creative Cause at 27-1 and Fed Biz, the flashy winner of a Thursday allowance race at Santa Anita for three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, who ended the day at odds of 31-1.

Betting was brisk during the KDFW Pool 1's first session with a total of $123,653 in win and exacta wagers. The overall total included $104,126 in win bets and exacta wagering of $19,257.

All bets in the KDFW are $2 minimum wagers, and there are no refunds on any wager placed during a Derby Future pool. If it is determined during any of the three 2012 Derby Future pools that an individual betting interest has suffered an illness, injury or other circumstance that would prevent that horse from competing in the Kentucky Derby, wagering on that betting interest will be suspended immediately.

Real-time odds and other information on KDFW Pool 1 is available at www.KentuckyDerby.com.

Pool 1 will conclude on Sunday at 6 p.m. (EST).

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