Loading ...Mar 08 2019
Kentucky Derby Futures Pool 3 Grid Starts March 8
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Friday, March 8, 2019. Kentucky Derby Futures Pool 3 begins today, along with Kentucky Oaks Future and the Oaks/Derby Double Future where you can pick the winner of both.
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To help you out, we give you the Kentucky Oaks and Derby Futures Grid here for free, giving you 2 free Grids this week including the Tampa Bay Downs Derby Day Saturday Grid. When you speak of us, speak well.
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In addition, Kentucky Derby.com was generous enough to provide the full form PP’s for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Futures as well, so we’ve reposted them here so you can compare and contrast. For example, their PP’s take up 14 pages as most do. The Grid takes 1 page, and is color coded. But anyway.
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Moving on, since our Grid is flexible, we took the liberty of underlining the horses that are racing this weekend, of which there are 5. There would have been about twice that, but the California contingent has been put on hold due to Santa Anita canceling all racing this week, including the San Felipe G2.
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In the Gotham G3 tomorrow at Aqueduct, the speedy Instagrand heads the field at even money in his 3yo debut and his first race since winning the Best Pal G2 in August. He’s 10-1 in the Futures. Mind Control is the 2nd ML choice after his Jerome win, and is 30-1 in Futures. If you think he will win the Gotham, bet him today to lock in your odds.
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They will be challenged by 6 others including Withers G3 runner up Not That Brady, who fought back in the stretch to lose by a head after winning his 2 prior bouts. Baffert shipped Much Better over from Santa Anita where there is no current racing.
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The Tampa Bay Derby field is a bit stronger, with 3 appearing as entries in the Futures Pool. Win Win Win is favored in this race after his staggering PF’s in the 7f Pasco Stakes here at Tampa in January (102 Grid, 101 Bris, 99 Beyer). He’s at 50-1 in the Pool so bet him today if you think he’ll win.
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Win Win Win won Pasco Stakes at 7f at Tampa in January, giving him the top 3yo PF.
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Well Defined should probably be the favorite, since he has actually won at this distance twice, including last out the Sam Davis G3 also at Tampa. He is also at 50-1 ML in the Futures. Dream Maker also appears in the pool but the reason is unclear. The Tampa Derby has been covered in much more detail here.
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The Jeff Ruby Steaks G3 is also on Saturday, but none of the contenders appear in the Futures entries, and their PF’s look well below par for those that do appear in the Pool.
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As previously covered, Santa Anita racing has been canceled indefinitely, and with it the San Felipe Stakes, in which we expected to see Baffert’s top 2 steeds.
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Game Winner and Improbable are also the top 2 individual ML choices in the Pool, but neither has raced yet this year. They will likely scramble now to the Southeast in order to get in at least 2 preps and the necessary points.
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Game Winner doesn’t even need the points but he will not go into the Big One without at least 1 prep this year, probably 2. People in the know say they will go to the Rebel next weekend, which makes sense because it’s a favorite prep for Baffert, but they could split up into the Louisiana Derby also.
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That leaves Baffert’s 3rd, also in the top 5 of our rankings, which will be revised next week. Mucho Gusto could be the one to stay back in Socal, aiming for the Sunland Derby in which he could get enough Derby points with a top 3 finish.
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The rest of them not mentioned have all been racing this year, so you can see where they stand using the Kentucky Derby Central, providing point standings, prep race results, and rankings.
