Two-time defending Horse of the Year Wise Dan made history when he opened as the 4-1 favourite in the first-ever Eclipse Awards 2014 Horse of the Year future bet odds listed today by William Hill, the operator of 100 sports betting locations across Nevada.

Other favourites (with opening odds) include last year’s champion three-year-old Will Take Charge (5-1), three-time Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude (6-1), defending Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Mucho Macho Man (7-1), current Kentucky Derby favourite California Chrome (8-1) and 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice (8-1).

The State of Nevada Gaming Control Board approved the 2014 Horse of the Year wager Tuesday for all licensed books in the state. The setting of odds is at the discretion of each book. Future bet wagering on Horse of the Year will conclude November 7, six days after the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park near Los Angeles.

Horse of the Year will be announced at the 44th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony on January 17, 2015, at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, located outside Miami in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

“We thank William Hill for pushing this initiative and applaud the State of Nevada for approving an entertaining wager that gives fans and bettors a new way to engage with the top North American horses in training throughout the season,” said National Thoroughbred Racing Association President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “The Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year is the most prestigious award in American racing and now the sharpest fans can share in the glory if they back the right horse.”

The new wager was conceived when Cot Campbell, founder and managing partner of the Dogwood Stable syndicate that owns Palace Malice, contacted William Hill US CEO Joe Asher about betting on his prized colt to be named Horse of the Year. Palace Malice already has wins in two important handicap races to start his four-year-old campaign.

Nevada books are prohibited from displaying futures odds online. A list of the 2014 Horse of the Year odds posted today by William Hill can be accessed on Dave Tuley’s ‘View From Vegas’ sports betting website.

To review the Nevada Gaming Control Board release announcing approval of the new wager, click here.

(NTRA)