Columnist Ralph Siraco: Kentucky Derby fever strikes Vegas race books

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Feb. 14, 2005 | 9:33 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

Though we are experiencing better-than-average rainfall in the desert this winter, it smells like roses in spring at the race books.

The first Kentucky Derby pari-mutuel future book pool was offered this past weekend and is now in the deep freeze until the first Saturday in May.

There were five key races for 3-year-olds around the country scattered through the four-day pari-mutuel Derby futures wagering period, and none of the winners was represented by an individual futures number.

While fixed-odds futures on the Derby post each horse separately with individual odds here in Las Vegas, the pari-mutuel offering has only 23 single betting spots for horses with a 24th slot covering the "all other 3-year-olds" category. The abbreviated pari-mutuel version is due to software limitations in the tote system.

So it comes as no surprise that the field bet of "all other 3-year-olds" wound up the favorite in Pool 1 of the pari-mutuel Derby future book bet. Of the record $620,362 wagered in Pool 1, which spanned Thursday through Sunday, the field bet attracted $164,362 of the handle to close at 2-1 odds for a future book payoff of $6.20.

That means the Whirlaway winner, Sort It Out, who paid $41.40 in his upset at Aqueduct, Risen Star victor Scipion (a $22.20 winner at the Fair Grounds), San Mateo Mile winner Stellar Magic ($18 at Bay Meadows) -- all on Saturday -- and Sunday's San Vicente Stakes winner Fusaichi Rock Star, who won as the longest shot on the board at $17, are all clumped in at 2-1 to win the Derby.

So why bet the pari-mutuel futures? Well, the pure numbers suggest a bet on the field in the Derby. A total of 358 3-year-olds were early nominees to the Triple Crown this year, which obviously begins with the Kentucky Derby. Subtract the 23 that had individual betting slots, and you have 335 possibilities. However, remember the starting limit for the Derby is 20 runners. So, many of the individual horses represented in the Derby future book wager are likely to dodge the attrition bullet and start in the run for the roses on Saturday, May 7. The leading candidates for Derby consideration usually occupy the limited individual wagering slots.

Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher leads the Derby-hopeful trainers with 34 nominees, of which three -- Bandini (20-1), Harlington (19-1) and Proud Accolade (35-1) -- were given individual betting numbers in the future book pool. Bobby Frankel was the second-highest nominator with 16 and had only High Limit (29-1) in a single slot in Pool 1. D. Wayne Lukas had a pair of single representatives in the futures betting, Sham Stakes winner Going Wild (28-1) and the San Vicente beaten favorite, Consolidator, who closed in the wagering after his defeat at 32-1. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the San Vicente with Fusaichi Rock Star, also had a solo runner beyond the field bet. Of his dozen nominees, only Roman Ruler -- who was scratched from the San Vicente due to a lingering foot problem -- was a singleton and closed at 18-1 odds without running over the weekend.

Of the 23 separate betting interests, four have payoffs exceeding $100 if they win the Derby. The highest of those was Texcess, the beaten favorite in the San Mateo Mile. If he bounces back and takes the roses, his payoff from Pool 1 will be $169.40. Even the 2004 Eclipse Award Juvenile winner Declan's Moon closed as the individual slot favorite at 9-1 odds. Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko closed at 23-1 in Pool 1 to parlay that win into a Derby score -- even though no horse in history has ever done so.

Those who think they were left out of some good propositions and the fun of talking about their Kentucky Derby future book bet around the water cooler for the next 12 weeks can either make a fixed-odds single-horse wager at Bally's or Coast Casinos, among other properties around town, or wait until the pari-mutuel versions return. Derby futures Pool 2 will cover March 10-13 with the third and final pool going April 4-10.

So, if you want to grab all the 2-1 odds on that field bet you can get, you have two more chances to do so.