Mr Money Bags looking to rebound in Stymie Stakes

A complete tossout.

That’s how those handicapping the $65,000 Stymie division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on Saturday at Lone Star Park might want to treat the race Mr Money Bags exits.

He was 13th in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs – a race he lost at the start. Trainer Mike Neatherlin said Mr Money Bags was bumped by a rival right out of the gate, and a buckle connecting the horse’s new bridle to one of his reins came unfastened, leaving jockey Corey Lanerie with little control over his mount in the one-turn race May 4.

“He grabbed him up by the headstall,” Neatherlin said of Lanerie gathering up Mr Money Bags.

“He came back real good – been a little mad,” Neatherlin added of Mr Money Bags.

A new challenge awaits Mr Money Bags in the Stymie, a one-mile race restricted to 3-year-old colts and geldings by eligible stallions. He will be looking for his first two-turn win in the race, which drew a field of seven. His rivals include My Bling, who won his maiden in a six-furlong division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 2-year-olds last fall at Retama Park, and Shotsoft, a full brother to multiple stakes winner Supermason who won at a mile in September in the $75,000 El Joven at Retama.

The Stymie goes as the fourth race on a nine-race card.

Mr Money Bags will be making his second start at two turns. In his first, he was third in the $75,000 Big Drama, an open-company stakes over 7 1/2 furlongs at Delta Downs. Mr Money Bags would go on to win back-to-back stakes on the front end at Sam Houston, taking a six furlong division of the Texas Stallion Stakes for 3-year-olds by more than 11 lengths Feb. 23, then the $50,000 Groovy by seven lengths March 23. For each effort, he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88, and he went off at a respectable 9-1 when he made his graded stakes debut in the Pat Day Mile.

For the Stymie, Mr Money Bags will break from post 5 under Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez. Neatherlin said the horse is manageable, and that is one reason he feels he will get the distance Saturday.

“This horse will rate, do whatever you want,” Neatherlin said. “He’s a smart horse. If you want him to come back to you, he’ll come back to you and relax.

“It looks like there’s just not a lot of speed in the race and he’s going to be placed forwardly. I don’t have to have the lead, but if he does get the lead, that would be okay, too.”

Mr Money Bags is a son of Silver City who races for his breeder, Roy W. Cobb.