[Dunbar]

My worst "overlay that got away" was in the 2006 Ky Derby Future Wager, Pool 1. It was NOT Barbaro at 19-1; I wasn't at all tuned into Barbaro at that point. What I missed was "All Others" at 3-1, which I considered a huge overlay. On Saturday night the odds were sitting at 6-5, and I stopped paying attention. When I read that it closed at 3-1, I was shocked. Nevermind that it turned out to be a losing bet, I still think it was my worst "overlay that got away". (as DrugS pointed out, there is more than one way to interpret that title.) Ever since that blunder, I pay attention until the close of future pool betting.

Here are the final odds from that 2006 Pool:

A.P. Warrior 31.2
Achilles of Troy 26.2
Barbaro 19.1
Barbican 18.4
Blazing Rate 101.3
Bluegrass Cat 15.7
Bob and John 31.7
Brother Derek 16.5
Cause to Believe 59.3
Doctor Decherd 68.6
First Samurai 7.9
Flashy Bull 45.4
Half Ours 33.1
Henny Hughes 27.7
High Cotton 62.6
Itsallboutthechase 48.2
Keyed Entry 53.8
Lawyer Ron 21
Point Determined 18.9
Private Vow 14.3
Sorcerer's Stone 45.5
Stevie Wonderboy 8.2
Your Tent Or Mine 21.9
All Other 3YO's 3

My second-worst missed overlay was Volponi in 2002. In my line I had Volponi at 28-1 and posted elsewhere that I would bet him at 35-1 or more. Somehow I missed Volponi's 43-1 odds in all the excitement of getting my losing bets down on Milwaukee Brew and Macho Uno.

--Dunbar