Proud Spell, Country Star favored in Pool 3 of KOFW

Brereton C. Jones’ Proud Spell, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (Grade II), and Stonerside Stable’s Country Star, a two-time winner in Grade I stakes races, are the top choices for the third pool of Churchill Downs’ 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which begins four days of betting on Thursday, April 3.

Proud Spell, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) for trainer J. Larry Jones, has been installed as the narrow 4-1 choice in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. Country Star, a Bobby Frankel-trained daughter of Empire Maker has not raced in 2008, but was the 5-1 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager that ran from March 6-9. The winner of the Darley Alcibiades (GI) and Hollywood Starlet (GI) is the 5-1 second choice in the Pool 2 morning line. The two fillies are scheduled to meet in Saturday’s $500,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) on the Polytrack surface at Keeneland.

The Kentucky Oaks Future Wager is a minimum $2 wager and a win bet only. It offers fans the opportunity to bet on contenders for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) at odds that could be greater than those they would receive on the day of the race. There are no refunds in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager. The 134th running of the Kentucky Oaks, America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies, will be renewed for the 134th time on Friday, May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Significant support is also expected in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager for Fox Hill Farm’s streaking Eight Belles, a J. Larry Jones-trained daughter of Unbridled’s Song whose three-race winning streak includes a victory in the Honeybee (GIII) at Oaklawn Park, and Lewis G. Lakin, IEAH Stable and Pegasus Holding Groups’ Pure Clan, who suffered her first career defeat in a runner-up finish in the Honeybee. Both fillies are listed as 8-1 risks in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager and are expected to meet again in Sunday’s $500,000 Fantasy Stakes (GII) at Oaklawn.

Betting on Pool 3 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager is scheduled to open at noon (all times EDT) on Thursday, April 3. The pool will close at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, and winning payouts on the pool will be based on odds that are in place at the conclusion of wagering. Churchill Downs’ companion Kentucky Derby Future Wager will also open at noon on Thursday. The Derby wager will close at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Other fillies expected to grab solid support in Pool 3 include 15-1 shots Absolutely Cindy, who defeated males in the John Battaglia Memorial; Santa Anita Oaks (GI) winner Ariege; and Las Virgenes (GI) winner Golden Doc A. The mutuel field, the betting interest that includes all 3-year-old fillies other than the 23 individual horses in the pool, was also listed at odds of 15-1 in Battaglia’s morning line.

A total of $62,503 was wagered during Pool 2 of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, the largest total for that pool in the five years since the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager went to its three-pool format. A total of $127,722 has been wagered in the first two pools of the 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.

KOFW Odds Pool 3