Mr. Big News improves his ratings with 46-1 Oaklawn Stakes upset

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Mr. Big News pulled a 46-1 upset Saturday in the $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes for 3-year-olds, running the kind of race trainer Bret Calhoun thought he was poised for last month when the colt did not draw into the Louisiana Derby.

“That was a great race,” Calhoun said shortly after the Oaklawn Stakes on Saturday.

Mr. Big News, who was a half-length winner over Farmington Road, earned berths into both the Preakness Stakes and Arkansas Derby with his win. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back in third to Taishan.

Thousand Words, the favorite invading from Southern California, stumbled significantly at the start. He raced in contention for a while before finishing 11th on the sealed track that was downgraded to sloppy for the Oaklawn Stakes.

Mr. Big News ($95.60) had two horses beat into the first turn as Gold Street moved to the lead from post 13 and took the field through an opening quarter in 22.07 seconds and a half-mile in 45.47. Mr. Big News moved up on the backside, made a four wide move around the final turn as Gold Street continued to lead through six furlongs in 1:10.92. Taishan took over in the stretch, but Mr. Big News took after that one, moved past him, then had enough to hold off Farmington Road.

Gabe Saez was aboard Mr. Big News, who covered the mile and an eighth in 1:49.89.

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“Gabe was able to kind of pick his way through today without having to stop him,” Calhoun said. “Gabe did a good job keeping him up on the outside. It’s better giving up a little ground with the horse than keeping him pinned on the inside. He worked out what I thought was a good trip for that horse, and got it done.”

Mr. Big News, a Triple Crown-nominated son of Giant’s Causeway owned by Allied Racing Stable, was winning his first stakes Saturday.

“We've had a lot of confidence in that horse for a long time,” Calhoun said. “I was very disappointed we didn’t get to run in the Louisiana Derby. I thought I had him sitting on a big one and I was hoping he hadn’t gone over the edge.”

Mr. Big News held his form, and earned the first-place check of $120,000. He came into the Oaklawn Stakes off a fifth-place finish to Modernist in a division of the Grade 2 Risen Star on Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds. Mr. Big News has now won 2 of 6 starts, with his other victory a maiden special weight route in January at Fair Grounds.

Calhoun said plans are to be determined for Mr. Big News. He said he is looking forward to seeing what additional Kentucky Derby points races Churchill Downs announces with the classic postponed to Sept. 5 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We don’t have a clear picture right now,” he said.

Mr. Big News will be considered for the Arkansas Derby, but Calhoun said it’s to be debated whether that will be too quick back. The race is May 2, moved to the closing day card at Oaklawn in response to the movement of the Kentucky Derby.

Farmington Road and Taishan also earned fees-paid berths into the Arkansas Derby with their finishes Saturday.

Basin was fourth, followed under the wire by Shoplifted, Digital, Coach Bahe, Gold Street, Background, Something Natural, Thousand Words, Flap Jack, and Sir Rick.

Handle on the 12-race card from all sources was $16.9 million. The races were conducted spectator-free ontrack due to the coronavirus pandemic.