'All others' favored in 2022 KDFW Pool 1, Sire Future Wager

While the “All Others” options were favored as expected – closing at 3-5 in the 2022 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 1 and at 7-2 in the Sire Future Wager – Jim McIngvale’s plunge made a splash in the markets late Sunday afternoon.

“Mattress Mack” bet $10,000 in Pool 1 on Smile Happy and $3,000 on his sire, McIngvale’s own champion Runhappy. That made Runhappy the individual favorite in the Sire Future Wager, eventually finishing at 7-1, and accelerated Smile Happy’s momentum among the contenders named in Pool 1.

Indeed, even before McIngvale put his money down, Smile Happy’s odds had dropped dramatically from a 50-1 morning line, thanks to his convincing victory in Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). The Mattress Mack factor pushed him at the time into joint favoritism among the individual interests with Jack Christopher. But Smile Happy kept attracting more support in the final hour of trade, finishing at 6 p.m. (ET) as the only individual in single digits at 8-1.

Jack Christopher, who will have to negotiate the comeback trail to make the Kentucky Derby (G1), inched back up to his morning-line price of 10-1. Smile Happy’s stablemates from the Ken McPeek barn, Rattle N Roll (21-1) and Tiz the Bomb (24-1), also had backers keeping the faith despite their setbacks.

The only other named betting interests at less than 30-1 were Pappacap (23-1) and Gunite (25-1). Both are sons of red-hot freshman Gun Runner, who was slashed to 9-1 in the Sire Future Wager from a morning line of 15-1. Gun Runner’s leading performer, presumptive champion juvenile filly Echo Zulu, might have played a role in the “All Fillies of the 2019 Foal Crop” option being trimmed to 41-1 (from 50-1) in Pool 1.

After Runhappy and Gun Runner, the third-ranked individual sire was Quality Road at 10-1. His flagbearer is Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) star Corniche, who was not listed as an individual betting interest in Pool 1 because his trainer, Bob Baffert, is banned by Churchill Downs. Corniche was therefore relegated to the mutuel field.

Leading sire Into Mischief, pegged at 20-1 on the morning line, was bet down to 14-1. Already responsible for a Kentucky Derby champion in Authentic (2020), he also has this year’s second-past-the-post, Mandaloun.

The remaining KDFW pools are on tap in early 2022 – Jan. 21-23 (Pool 2), Feb. 11-13 (Pool 3), Mar. 11-13 (Pool 4 along with the single Kentucky Oaks Future Wager), and Mar. 31-Apr. 2 (Pool 5).

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1

Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager