2022 Kentucky Derby odds: 3 markets, 3 favorites, 184 choices
The latest prep winner had his odds cutlike the typical flavor of the week. Mattress Mack made his mark. Nevadabookmakers went opposite directions with the new filly on the block. And, oh,yes. There were three different favorites to close the weekend in the three Kentucky Derby 2022 futures markets.
It feels like as good a time as any forthe last break in the prep schedule before the serious, 100-40-20-10 pointersbegin.
Based on the best prices for bettors, SanFelipe (G2) winner Forbidden Kingdom and Risen Star (G2) runner-up Smile Happyremained the consensus, joint favorites Sunday night, each available at 10-1 inLas Vegas.
Forbidden Kingdom carried those odds atCirca Sports and was the 6-1 favorite at Caesars Sportsbook at William Hill.Smile Happy was 10-1 at both Nevada shops, although Saturday’s Tampa Bay Derby(G2) winner Classic Causeway was cut from 16-1 to a 9-1 favorite at Circa.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, who ownsSmile Happy’s stallion Runhappy, told Horse Racing Nation he bet “acouple thousand” dollars Saturday in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. That betwas the difference in making the Kenny McPeek-trained colt the 6-1 individualfavorite in Pool 4 of the weekend pari-mutuels that were offered nationally byChurchill Downs.
It actually was the “all other3-year-olds” option, the mutuel-field choice of any Derby horse other than 23 listedindividuals, that closed as the 4-1 KDFW favorite.
Pari-mutuel bettors who put their moneyon “all others” might have considered the looming possibility of unlisted BobBaffert horses, such as two-time Grade 3 winner Messier, being moved to othertrainers to make them eligible for the Derby. They also had the added enticementof the filly Secret Oath, the Honeybee (G3) winner whom trainer D. Wayne Lukas willsend against males April 2 in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
Secret Oath was cut from 85-1 to 25-1at Caesars at William Hill, but she drifted from 25-1 to 28-1 at Circa, perhapsin an effort to drive some business her way.
While Churchill takes a break from bookingDerby bets until its final pool March 31-April 2, the Nevada books list acombined 184 horses for their round-the-clock futures.
