'All Others' Favored Again in First Kentucky Derby Future Pool, But Pyro, War Pass Also Strong

Louisville, KY (Feb. 10, 2008) -- The first of three pools of the Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby Future Wager ran true to form as the mutuel field, or “all others,” ended up as the favorite on a roster of 24 wagering interests. But an impressive victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Risen Star Stakes (Grade III) at Fair Grounds propelled Pyro past unbeaten 2-year-old champion War Pass into the status of individual horse favored to win the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at the historic Louisville, Ky. track on May 3.

The mutuel field, a betting interest that included all 3-year-olds other than the 23 individual 3-year-olds in the pool, was the 3-1 fan favorite at the end of four days of betting in the first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. The wager is now in its tenth year and “all others” has been favored in Pool 1 in each of those years.

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro, who unleashed a impressive last-to-first stretch rally to win the Risen Star and notch his first career stakes victory, ended up as the second betting choice in Pool 1 at odds of 5-1. He was ahead of champion and Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) winner War Pass, who closed at 6-1. Court Vision was next at 15-1 and was followed closely by El Gato Malo (16-1) Monba (16-1), Majestic Warrior (18-1) and Crown of Thorns (18-1).

The mutuel field wager in Pool 1 would be a winner if any 3-year-old other than the 23 individual horses in the pool won the Kentucky Derby. A winning $2 ticket on “all others” in Pool 1 would return $8.60. Should Pyro win the Kentucky, his Pool 1 Derby Future mutuel payout would be $12.20, while War Pass would return $14.80. The record winning payout on a Pool 1 wager was the $188 returned by Funny Cide when he won the Kentucky Derby in 2003.

A total of $439,379 was wagered during the four-day pool that opened at noon (all times EST) on Thursday, Feb. 7. Of that total, $211,833 was wagering during the final six hours of the wagering on Sunday, which opened at noon and closed at 6 p.m.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager is a minimum $2 wager and a win bet only. It offers Kentucky Derby fans the opportunity to bet on contenders at odds that could be greater than those they would receive on Derby Day. There are no refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Pool 2 of the wager is scheduled for March 6-9, while its third and final pool is set for April 3-6.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2008. The track’s 2008 Spring Meet begins on April 26. Churchill Downs has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record six times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.