Churchill Downs has set the 2012 weekend dates for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools.  The Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be conducted on three weekends which will be February 10-12, March 2-4, and March 30 – April 1.  All three pools will open at noon EST on Fridays and close at 6 p.m. Sundays.

The Kentucky Derby future wagers provide racing fans the opportunity to wager on potential competitors at odds that could be considerably more attractive than those available on the day of the respective race. Winning payouts on the Kentucky Derby future wagers are determined by the odds in place at the end of each respective betting pool weekend .  The field will consist of 23 individual betting interests and the mutuel field (which consists of all other 3 year old thoroughbreds).

In 2011, over $1.3 million was bet during the three weekends of Kentucky Derby future wagers.  The eventual winner of the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom was “mutuel field” for Pools 1 and 2.  In Pool #3, Animal Kingdom’s went off at odds of 31 to 1 and paid $64.40 to those who bet on him.  In comparison, Animal Kingdom went off at odds of 21 to 1 and paid $43.80 at Churchill Downs when he won the Kentucky Derby.