Fierceness popular in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 closed on Sunday with runaway Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Fierceness listed as the 8-1 individual favorite.

More than five months out from the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1), the popular “All Other Three-Year-Old Males” option closed as the overall favorite at odds of 6-5. “All Other Three-Year-Old Fillies” settled at 59-1.

Fierceness was 10-1 with only 10 minutes left in the betting, but late money drove down his odds. The bay colt wound up as the clear-cut individual favorite over Locked (14-1), winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Both Fierceness and Locked are conditioned by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who also had Moonlight (84-1) and Private Desire (169-1) in Pool 2.

Rounding out the betting options were Nash (18-1), Dornoch (19-1), Knightsbridge (19-1), Timberlake (27-1), Parchment Party (35-1), Sierra Leone (36-1), Bentornato (43-1), Liberal Arts (46-1), Where’s Chris (48-1), Carbone (49-1), The Wine Steward (50-1), Catching Freedom (52-1), Booth (53-1), Awesome Road (53-1), Stretch Ride (59-1), Risk It (65-1), Bergen (77-1), Moonlight (87-1), Kitty Hawk (92-1), Otto the Conqueror (92-1), Nutella Fella (92-1), Copper Tax (103-1), Mystik Dan (105-1), Domestic Product (113-1), Real Men Violin (122-1), Lightline (124-1), West Saratoga (135-1), Billal (137-1), Drum Roll Please (139-1), Stolen Magic (145-1), Glengarry (146-1), Merit (154-1), Dancing Groom (155-1), Informed Patriot (172-1), and Stronghold (182-1).

In a bit of irony, bettors who believe Fierceness will win the Kentucky Derby could have gotten better odds by playing his sire, City of Light, in the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager. Offered only once each year, the Sire Future Wager offers bettors an opportunity to wager on which stallion they believe will sire the next Kentucky Derby winner.

The Sire Future Wager closed half an hour after Future Wager Pool 2 with City of Light settling as the 12-1 individual third choice behind Gun Runner (11-1) and Nyquist (11-1). “All Other Sires” was the overall favorite at 7-2.

The other betting interests available to play were Justify (15-1), Into Mischief (18-1), Medaglia d’Oro (18-1), Good Magic (19-1), Constitution (23-1), Curlin (23-1), Quality Road (24-1), Street Sense (31-1), Arrogate (32-1), American Pharoah (34-1), Vino Rosso (34-1), Mitole (36-1), Tapit (39-1), Uncle Mo (45-1), Candy Ride (58-1), Not This Time (64-1), Practical Joke (64-1), Liam’s Map (66-1), Omaha Beach (68-1), Audible (74-1), Hard Spun (75-1), Bolt d’Oro (80-1), Munnings (83-1), Ghostzapper (85-1), Maximus Mischief (89-1), Bernardini (91-1), Classic Empire (111-1), Runhappy (118-1), War Front (123-1), Flameaway (124-1), Cairo Prince (127-1), Malibu Moon (127-1), Violence (128-1), Speightstown (134-1), More Than Ready (139-1), and Union Rags (154-1).

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 attracted $206,800 in wagers, comprised of $163,037 in win bets and $43,763 in exactas, while the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager drew $77,417 in win bets and $26,695 in exactas for a total of $104,112.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 is slated for Jan. 19-21.