Fresh off the heels of his dominant San Felipe Stakes win, Forbidden Kingdom opened as the 5/1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 4. That pool opens Friday and runs through Sunday.

Forbidden Kingdom-KDFW Pool 4
This daylight victory in last Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park is one big reason why Forbidden Kingdom is the 5/1 favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. (Image: Benoit Photo)

It runs concurrently with the lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (KOFW) pool. There, Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia put 4/1 favorite status on Echo Zulu.

Both pools open Friday at noon ET. The KDFW closes Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, with the KOFW closing 30 minutes later. Win and Exacta bets are available on both pools, with a special Derby-Oaks Future Double added to the wagering menu.

Forbidden Kingdom is the first pre-pool favorite not named Smile Happy in this season’s KDFW future pool. That colt, a favorite of Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, who owns Smile Happy’s sire, Runhappy, opened this pool at 6/1. He closed at 8/1 in the first three KDFW pools. Those are the same odds as “All Other 3-Year-Olds” — a.k.a. the Field.

Why is Forbidden Kingdom the KDFW favorite? See ‘San Felipe’

Given recency bias in many bettors, don’t expect Forbidden Kingdom’s odds to drift. Especially as more horseplayers see his 5 3/4-length dismantling of the San Felipe field in his first trip around two turns.

Not far behind are Risen Star winner Epicenter (8/1) and last week’s Fountain of Youth winner Simplification (12/1).

Eight newcomers find their way into this KDFW pool, headed by Gotham Stakes winner Morello, who opens at 10/1. Rebel Stakes surprise winner Un Ojo joins the pool at 50/1. The other newcomers are Charge It (30/1), Cyberknife (50/1), Rebel runner up Ethereal Road (50/1), Pioneer of Medina (30/1), Sam F. Davis runner-up Shipsational (50/1) and Zosus (50/1).


2022 Kentucky Derby Future Wager–Pool 4

  Trainer Odds
Barber Road John Ortiz 50/1
Call Me Midnight Keith Desormeaux 50/1
Charge It Todd Pletcher 30/1
Classic Causeway Brian Lynch 15/1
Cyberknife Brad Cox 50/1
Early Voting Chad Brown 30/1
Emmanuel Todd Pletcher 15/1
Epicenter Steve Asmussen 8/1
Ethereal Road D. Wayne Lukas 50/1
Forbidden Kingdom Richard Mandella 5/1
In Due Time Kelly Breen 30/1
Major General Todd Pletcher 50/1
Mo Donegal Todd Pletcher 12/1
Morello Steve Asmussen 10/1
Pioneer of Medina Todd Pletcher 30/1
Rattle N Roll Kenny McPeek 20/1
Shipsational Ed Courville 50/1
Simplification Antonio Sano 12/1
Smile Happy Kenny McPeek 6/1
Un Ojo Ricky Courville 50/1
White Abarrio Saffie Joseph Jr. 15/1
Zandon Chad Brown 12/1
Zozos Brad Cox 50/1
All Other 3-Year-Olds 6/1

Echo Zulu, the 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, is the easy favorite. The Gun Runner filly is unbeaten in four races, most recently a 5 1/4-length victory in November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. That was her third Grade 1 score as a juvenile. She has yet to open her 3-year-old season, which may come at the March 26 Fair Grounds Oaks.

Not far behind at 6/1 is standout Secret Oath, one of the hottest horses of any gender in the country. The Honeybee Stakes winner, conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, won her last three races by a combined 23 lengths.


2022 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager

Trainer Odds
A Mo Reay Todd Pletcher 30/1
Ain’t Easy Phil D’Amato 20/1
Awake At Midnyte Doug O’Neill 20/1
Bernabreezy Matt Shirer 50/1
Bubble Rock Brad Cox 30/1
Classy Edition Todd Pletcher 15/1
Echo Zulu Steve Asmussen 4/1
Fannie and Freddie Al Stall Jr. 30/1
Favor Todd Pletcher 20/1
Goddess of Fire Todd Pletcher 20/1
Hidden Connection Bret Calhoun 50/1
Ice Orchid John Ortiz 50/1
Juju’s Map Brad Cox 10/1
Kathleen O. Shug McGaughey 8/1
Nest Todd Pletcher 8/1
Nostalgic Bill Mott 20/1
Sandstone Kenny McPeek 15/1
Secret Oath D. Wayne Lukas 6/1
Shahama Todd Pletcher 30/1
Turnerloose Brad Cox 15/1
Venti Valentine Jorge Abreu 15/1
Veterans Highway Rusty Arnold 50/1
Yuugiri Rodolphe Brisset 50/1
All Other 3-Year-Old Fillies 10/1

The Kentucky Oaks is May 6, one day before the 148th Kentucky Derby. You can get past performances for all the KDFW and KOFW horses here.

The fifth and final KDFW pool is March 31-April 2. Unlike the other pools, that one ends before the Saturday, April 2 Derby preps.