Kentucky Derby Exotic Wagers
Based in large part on a stunning victory in the San Felipe (G2), Life Is Good closed as the 2-1 overall favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4, cementing his reputation as the horse to beat on the first Saturday in May.
Conditioned by six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, Life Is Good was the individual favorite in the first three future pools as well, offering odds between 5-1 and 7-1. But Life Is Good’s eight-length romp in the San Felipe encouraged bettors to drive his odds even lower than usual, leaving the typically favored “All Other Three-Year-Olds” option as the distant 7-1 fourth choice by the time betting closed on Sunday.
The undefeated two-year-old championEssential Quality (5-1) and Fountain of Youth (G2) winnerGreatest Honour (6-1) were also popular at the betting windows, albeit without challenging Life Is Good for overall supremacy.
The low prices on the three favorites understandably drove up the odds on the remaining betting interests. Rounding out the options in Pool 4 were Caddo River (16-1), Mandaloun (17-1), Concert Tour (17-1), Prevalence (29-1), Collaborate (29-1), Keepmeinmind (30-1), Highly Motivated (36-1), Medina Spirit (39-1), Proxy (41-1), Risk Taking (42-1), Midnight Bourbon (52-1), Hot Rod Charlie (53-1), Spielberg (63-1), Candy Man Rocket (71-1), Dream Shake (71-1), The Great One (79-1), Freedom Fighter (84-1), Roman Centurian (94-1), Rombauer (109-1), and Hush of a Storm (146-1).
Helium and Weyburn, the respective upset winners of the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Gotham (G3) over the weekend, were not offered for individual betting, instead being grouped with the All Other Three-Year-Olds option.
Kentucky Derby Exotic Wagering
All told, $322,477 was wagering in Pool 4, including $90,844 in exactas.
| PROGRAM | HORSE | ODDS |
| 1. | Caddo River | 16-1 |
| 2. | Candy Man Rocket | 71-1 |
| 3. | Collaborate | 29-1 |
| 4. | Concert Tour | 17-1 |
| 5. | Dream Shake | 71-1 |
| 6. | Essential Quality | 5-1 |
| 7. | Freedom Fighter | 84-1 |
| 8. | Greatest Honour | 6-1 |
| 9. | Highly Motivated | 36-1 |
| 10. | Hot Rod Charlie | 53-1 |
| 11. | Hush of a Storm | 99-1 |
| 12. | Keepmeinmind | 30-1 |
| 13. | Life Is Good | 2-1 |
| 14. | Mandaloun | 17-1 |
| 15. | Medina Spirit | 39-1 |
| 16. | Midnight Bourbon | 52-1 |
| 17. | Prevalence | 29-1 |
| 18. | Proxy | 41-1 |
| 19. | Risk Taking | 42-1 |
| 20. | Roman Centurian | 94-1 |
| 21. | Rombauer | 99-1 |
| 22. | Spielberg | 63-1 |
| 23. | The Great One | 79-1 |
| 24. | All Other Three Year Olds | 7-1 |
Kentucky Derby Exotic Bets
Coinciding with the Kentucky Derby pool was the annual Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which saw the well-bred Rachel Alexandra (G2) winnerClairiere settle as the 7-2 favorite over “All Other Three-Year-Old Fillies” at 5-1. Considering the Rachel Alexandra has produced five Oaks winners since 2010, bettors appear to have made a well-informed choice.
Rachel Alexandra runner-up Travel Column closed as the third choice at 6-1, followed by Malathaat (7-1), Will’s Secret (14-1), Simply Ravishing (15-1), Vequist (19-1), Pass the Champagne (20-1), Dayoutoftheoffice (22-1), Kalypso (23-1), Wholebodemeister (28-1), Zaajel (28-1), Pauline’s Pearl (28-1), Search Results (31-1), Li’l Tootsie (35-1), Crazy Beautiful (39-1), Obligatory (40-1), Moraz (47-1), Sun Path (55-1), Bow Bow Girl (56-1), Lady Mystify (63-1), Coach (67-1), Willful Woman (103-1), and Souper Sensational (110-1).
Kentucky Derby Exotic Bets
The Oaks pool attracted $78,290, including $20,771 in exactas. In addition, a Kentucky Oaks/Derby Double Future Wager—tasking bettors with selecting the winners of both races—drew $70,727. The All Other Three-Year-Old Fillies/Life Is Good double was the preferred combination, projecting a return of $19.90 for every $1 bet.
- Rise exponentially. An exotic wager at the Derby is the best way for you to walk away with a significant amount of scratch for a relatively small bet. Betting Strategy. When many people bet the Kentucky Derby, they like to just pick the horses that are the best-looking or have a name that resonates with them, and that’s a fun way to go about it.
- Let’s take a look at some exotic bets and strategies that are appealing in this year’s Kentucky Derby. In an exacta wager, all you have to do is pick the top two finishers. This is easier said than done in a field of twenty horses. One strategy with an exacta.
- 1 day ago Eight weeks in advance of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the unbeaten Bob Baffert-trained Life Is Good closed as the 2-1 favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
| PROGRAM | HORSE | ODDS |
| 1. | Bow Bow Girl | 50-1 |
| 2. | Clairiere | 7-2 |
| 3. | Coach | 67-1 |
| 4. | Crazy Beautiful | 39-1 |
| 5. | Dayoutoftheoffice | 22-1 |
| 6. | Kalypso | 23-1 |
| 7. | Lady Mystify | 63-1 |
| 8. | Li’l Tootsie | 35-1 |
| 9. | Malathaat | 7-1 |
| 10. | Moraz | 47-1 |
| 11. | Obligatory | 40-1 |
| 12. | Pass the Champagne | 20-1 |
| 13. | Pauline’s Pearl | 28-1 |
| 14. | Search Results | 31-1 |
| 15. | Simply Ravishing | 15-1 |
| 16. | Souper Sensational | 99-1 |
| 17. | Sun Path | 55-1 |
| 18. | Travel Column | 6-1 |
| 19. | Vequist | 19-1 |
| 20. | Wholebodemeister | 28-1 |
| 21. | Will’s Secret | 14-1 |
| 22. | Willful Woman | 99-1 |
| 23. | Zaajel | 28-1 |
| 24. | All Other Three Year Old Fillies | 5-1 |
The fifth and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool will take place from March 26-28, five weeks before the first Saturday in May.
Kentucky Derby Exotic Bets. Any wager other than Win/Place/Show is considered an exotic bet. Some of these wagers can indeed get a little tricky, but there are also some very simple exotic bets for the Kentucky Derby – and if you pick the right horses, you can win big. Let’s start with the easiest exotic bet of.