For the second year, Churchill Downs will offer its popular Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) in November, 22 weeks before Kentucky Derby 141 will run at Churchill Downs. Four Kentucky Derby future wager pools and one Kentucky Oaks pool will be offered before the races run next May.
Wagering in KDFW Pool 1 will open at noon on Black Friday, Nov. 28 and close at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30. The three other pools will run Feb. 6 through Feb. 8, Feb. 27 through Mar. 1, and Mar. 27 through Mar. 29. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool will run concurrently with KDFW Pool 3, Feb. 27 through Mar. 1.
As the first of four pools and furthest from the Kentucky Derby, KDFW Pool 1 has the potential to offer fans the highest odds on early Derby hopefuls. Of course, with higher rewards come higher risks. The KDFW allows bettors the opportunity at higher odds than may be available on Derby Day. There are no refunds if your horse doesn’t start in the Kentucky Derby or is injured or otherwise removed from consideration during pool wagering. Churchill Downs will immediately suspend wagering on a horse if it learns that something has happened to it to prevent it from entering the race.
The KDFW offers a minimum $2 win wager only, no place or show wagering. Also offered is a minimum $2 straight exacta wager or a minimum $1 boxed exacta or part-wheel wager. Each pool will offer 23 individual betting interests, plus the always popular “All Others” mutual field.
One change in this year’s KDFW pools is the opening and closing times for all pools. Last year, Churchill Downs tried something new when it scheduled the KDFW pool closings prior to post-time for Kentucky Derby prep races running the weekend of the pool. They will forego this fluctuation and revert back to the schedule of previous KDFW pools—a Friday noon opening and Sunday 6 p.m. closing for all pools. The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool will close 30 minutes later, at 6:30 p.m. on its respective date.
