Unbeaten Justify favored at 3-1 in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager

The Bob Baffert-trained Justify (#12) secured not only a spot in the starting gate for the May 5 Kentucky Derby (G1) but also 3-1 favoritism in Pool 4 of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) when romping by three lengths in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby (G1).

The Scat Daddy colt opened at 6-1 in the fourth and final of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wagers, and will pay $8.40 if he wins the 144th Run for the Roses.

There were a total of six horses who closed at single-digit odds when wagering ended on Pool 4, which ran from April 6-8.

Mendelssohn (#15) was made the second favorite when closing at 5-1. Yet another son of Scat Daddy, the Aidan O’Brien-trained bay opened at 10-1 on the morning line but saw his odds cut in half thanks to a dominating dirt debut in the March 31 U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) at Meydan.

The Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Audible (#1) and Magnum Moon (#14) saw their respective 6-1 and 10-1 morning lines change to 7-1 and 8-1 in Pool 4. Audible scored by three lengths in his final Kentucky Derby prep, the March 31 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, while Magnum Moon is scheduled for his final race before the Run for the Roses in the April 14 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

Bolt d’Oro (#2) and Good Magic (#8) closed at the same 9-1 odds in Pool 4 of the KDFW, but the latter is a slight favorite over his rival thanks to an additional $400+ wagered. Bolt d’Oro’s 5-1 morning line rose after he finished second behind Justify in the Santa Anita Derby. Good Magic opened at 8-1 on the morning line but his odds also rose slightly despite triumphing in Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.

The Mutuel Field (#24) or “All Other Three-Year-Olds,” was the lowest double-digit wager when closing at 17-1. It opened at 10-1 on the morning line.