Halfbridled Favored In Final Pool Of 2004 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager; Madcap Escapade, Ashado Close Behind
By: John Asher

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 4, 2004) - A minor ailment may have knocked Wertheimer Farm's Halfbridled out of Saturday's Ashland Stakes (Grade I) at Keeneland, but that setback did little to shake the confidence of racing fans that made the reigning 2-year-old filly champion the 4-1 favorite in the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2004 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ("KOFW").

The Richard Mandella-trained daughter of Unbridled was the favorite in each of this year's Oaks Future pools. She was the 3-1 choice in February's opening pool and the 7-2 favorite in Pool 2 in mid-March. Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia had installed Halfbridled as the 3-1 favorite in his KOFW Pool 3 morning line. Despite her scratch from the Ashland, Mandella said that the Kentucky Oaks remained his filly's major objective and that she could run in Keeneland's Stonerside Beaumont (GIII) on April 8 or he would train her up to the Oaks on Friday, April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Bruce Lunsford's Madcap Escapade and Starlight Stable, Paul Saylor and John Martin's Ashado, the 1-2 finishers in the Ashland, ended up in a photo finish as the second and third betting choices Pool 3. Both fillies closed at 7-1, but Madcap Escapade emerged as the second choice because slightly more money had been wagered on her than Ashado ($4,679 to $4,307). Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wygod's Silent Sighs, who knocked Halfbridled from the ranks of the unbeaten in the Santa Anita Oaks (GI), was next at 9-1.

Racing fans wagered $45,635 during the four-day run of Pool 3, which concluded at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, April 4. That total included $25,551 wagered during the pool's final hours on Sunday. This was the second year for the Oaks Future bet and the first in which it was offered in three pools. Combined wagering in this year's three Oaks Future pools totaled $158,211. Last year's inaugural Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which was offered in a single pool in April, attracted total betting of $117,368.

The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager operates under the same rules as the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. It allows racing fans to wager on contenders for the Kentucky Oaks weeks in advance of the race at odds that could be more attractive than those they would receive on Oaks Day. Each KOFW pool consists of 24 wagering interests that include 23 individual horses and a mutuel field made up of all other 3-year-old fillies. It is a $2 minimum wager and is a win bet only. There are no refunds in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. More information and real time odds on the Oaks Future Wager are available on the Internet at www.kentuckyoaks.com.

2004 KENTUCKY OAKS FUTURE WAGER - POOL 3 (DAY 3)

(#) Wagering Interest	Final Odds
1. A.P. Adventure	9-1
2. Ashado	9-1
3. Bohemian Lady	43-1
4. Class Above	34-1
5. Daydreaming	38-1
6. Elusive Diva	38-1
7. Ender's Sister	47-1
8. Galloping Gal	50-1
9. Halfbridled	4-1
10. Hollywood Story	17-1
11. House of Fortune	20-1
12. Irish Melody	24-1
13. Island Sand	68-1
14. La Reina	14-1
15. Last Song	27-1
16. Madcap Escapade	8-1
17. Miss Coronado	22-1
18. Shadow Cast	81-1
19. Silent Sighs	12-1
20. Stellar Jayne	59-1
21. Victory U.S.A.	35-1
22. Wildwood Flower	52-1
23. Yearly Report	23-1
24. All Other 3YO Fillies	7-1

Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Statistics

Wagering (by year)	Pool 1	Pool 2	Pool 3	Total
2004	$45,635	$46,151	$66,425	$158,211
2003	$117,368			$117,368

Winning payout	Pool 1	Pool 2	Pool 3	Oaks payout
2004 (Ashado)	$6.60	$48.40	$21.00	$27.60
2003 (Bird Town)	$33.60			$38.40

Churchill Downs, the world's most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) also operates Trackside Louisville, an off-track betting and training facility. Churchill Downs will conduct the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2004. The track will conduct its 2004 Spring Meet from April 24-July 5. Churchill Downs has served as host to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships a record five times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldowns.com.