With or without Mattress Mack’s money, Smile Happy still was the top individual choice among early bettors in Pool 2 of the pari-mutuel Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Check out the full list of Kentucky Derby contenders.
The colt sired by Jim McIngvale’s stallion Runhappy carried odds of 9-1 after the first day of wagering closed Friday at 10 p.m. EST. Trained by Ken McPeek, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) winner attracted $5,380 of the $69,181 bet into the win pool in the first 10 hours it was open.
The mutuel entry comprised of “all other 3-year-olds” aside from the 23 nominated horses was the even-money favorite, pulling $26,053 into the win pool.
McIngvale waited until an hour before Pool 1 of the KDFW closed Nov. 28 to make a $10,000 bet on Smile Happy, helping to cut the colt’s final odds from 15-1 to 8-1.
Chasing Time, an allowance winner last week for trainer Steve Asmussen, was the early second choice among the individual horses in Pool 2, attracting $4,725 to put his odds at 11-1. Jack Christopher, Chad Brown’s Champagne Stakes (G1) victor who is recovering from autumn shin surgery, was next at $4,381 and 12-1.
In exacta betting, “all others” over Happy Saver was the favored pair with a potential $53.40 payoff on a winning $2 bet. The day 1 exacta handle was $15,215.
Betting in the KDFW will be open Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. EST. It may be influenced the most by Saturday’s running of the Lecomte Stakes (G3), a 10-4-2-1 points prep at Fair Grounds.
| KDFW Pool 2 | ML | Fri | Wagers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chasing Tme | 20-1 | 11-1 | $4,725 |
| 2. Classic Causeway | 30-1 | 78-1 | $721 |
| 3. Commandperformance | 50-1 | 45-1 | $1,226 |
| 4. Courvoisier | 30-1 | 30-1 | $1,832 |
| 5. Dash Attack | 20-1 | 31-1 | $1,747 |
| 6. Emmanuel | 50-1 | 33-1 | $1,648 |
| 7. Epicenter | 15-1 | 34-1 | $1,607 |
| 8. Giant Game | 30-1 | 27-1 | $1,973 |
| 9. High Oak | 50-1 | 51-1 | $1,077 |
| 10. Jack Christopher | 10-1 | 12-1 | $4,381 |
| 11. Major General | 50-1 | 58-1 | $966 |
| 12. Make It Big | 50-1 | 99-1 | $464 |
| 13. Mo Donegal | 12-1 | 29-1 | $1,843 |
| 14. Pappacap | 20-1 | 18-1 | $2,943 |
| 15. Rattle N Roll | 30-1 | 34-1 | $1,615 |
| 16. Simplification | 30-1 | 75-1 | $747 |
| 17. Slow Down Andy | 15-1 | 24-1 | $2,215 |
| 18. Smile Happy | 8-1 | 9-1 | $5,380 |
| 19. Tiz the Bomb | 20-1 | 20-1 | $2,689 |
| 20. Trafalgar | 50-1 | 99-1 | $499 |
| 21. Varatti | 50-1 | 52-1 | $1,063 |
| 22. White Abarrio | 50-1 | 99-1 | $274 |
| 23. Zandon | 12-1 | 37-1 | $1,482 |
| 24. All other 2-year-olds | 7-5 | 1-1 | $26,053 |
