Todd Pletcher looks like a great value play based on the US Racing Kentucky Derby future odds for trainers.
We are turning for home in our race to the Kentucky Derby and many are starting to get Derby fever. If you’re like me, you are not a believer in Mohaymen or Nyquist and are looking for an alternative. If you do not have a favorite horse at this point, US Racing offers a different type of Kentucky Derby bet: a Kentucky Derby future wager for trainers.
The idea of a future wager on a trainer is a unique and fun way to play the Run for the Roses. This wager allows you to have a share of each horse the trainer has in the Derby. If a trainer enters three horses in the Kentucky Derby, you will now have a wager on 15% of the field (assuming a full field of 20), which increases your chances for victory.
Let’s take a look at some value plays for trainers with projected multiple horses entered in the Kentucky Derby. We will be using the US Racing Kentucky Derby future wager odds for trainers which can be found at:
https://www.usracing.com/kentucky-derby/trainer-betting.
STRONG VALUE
- Todd Pletcher (25-1)
Let’s pretend we are not talking about the Kentucky Derby for a moment. If you are studying for an allowance race at Belmont Park and see that Todd Pletcher has a runner going off at 25-1 odds, you would probably drop your racing program and sprint to the betting window to make your “value wager of the day.” The same scenario holds true, even when the stakes are raised, in a race like the Kentucky Derby. Todd Pletcher is loaded with Kentucky Derby hopefuls and you can have access to all of them, regardless of which ones run on the first Saturday in May. I am aware of his failures in this race, but 2016 is a new year and the odds on one of the best trainers in the game are simply too enticing to pass up. The main hopefuls for your future wager with Todd Pletcher are Destin, Zulu, Outwork, Donegal Moon, Battery, Gettysberg and Mo Power.
- Chad Brown (20-1)
Chad Brown is one of the best trainers in the game and his stable has been on fire of late. Why wouldn’t you want to get your hands on the contingent that he sends to Louisville on May 7? His 20-1 odds are a steal at this point for a trainer of his ilk. The main hopefuls for your future wager with Chad Brown are Shagaf, Flexibility, My Man Sam and possibly Gift Box.
POTENTIAL VALUE
- Dale Romans (13-1)
Dale Romans always seems to have a say in a three-year-old classic — and this year is no exception. He doesn’t present us the type of odds that Todd Pletcher or Chad Brown do, but at 13-1, with a knack for having his horses ready to run on the first Saturday in May, there are worse choices out there. He will probably have multiple horses in the gate for the Kentucky Derby, which makes his 13-1 odds fair. The main hopefuls for your future wager with Dale Romans are Brody’s Cause, Cherry Wine and Unbridled Outlaw.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
- Bob Baffert (3-1)
Big-game Bob Baffert is back with a solid stable looking to continue his incredible Triple Crown run. His odds are what you would expect for one of the best Triple Crown trainers in the history of the game. His stable continues to grow stronger as the season progresses and he is another trainer that will, more than likely, end up with multiple horses in the Kentucky Derby. The value with wagering on Bob Baffert relies on your philosophy, but you know that you are wagering on one of the best Triple Crown trainers of all time. The fact that Baffert will probably send multiple horses to the Derby makes him a value pick and it keeps him in front of the other trainers who are only entering one horse. The main hopefuls for your future wager with Bob Baffert are Mor Spirit, Cupid, Collected and Malibu Sunset.
The Kentucky Derby future wager for trainers is a fun way to wager on the Kentucky Derby. If you are having a hard time picking out a horse for the run for the roses, this may be a great wagering strategy for you.
