Mr. Money may rebound in Ack Ack Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mr. Money is in agreement with anybody who says 2020 has been a lousy year.

As opposed to 2019, when the colt won four Grade 3 stakes in a row and earned $1,136,820, this has been a difficult year for Mr. Money. In four starts, he has finished no better than fourth, with his 2020 earnings a mere $15,550.

“Maybe he doesn’t like dealing with this COVID stuff, either,” joked trainer Bret Calhoun.

Look closer, however, and there are legitimate reasons why Mr. Money could jump up Saturday with his best race of the year in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack at his home track of Churchill Downs. Mr. Money is one of 14 older horses entered for the one-mile Ack Ack, the final stakes of the 14-day September meet.

“You hate to keep making excuses, but he really hasn’t had a fair shot this year,” said Calhoun.

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Mr. Money, a bay Goldencents colt owned by Allied Racing and Spendthrift Farm, began his 4-year-old season returning from a five-month layoff with a sixth-place finish over a wet-fast track in the April 11 Oaklawn Mile. “It rained really hard right before the race,” said Calhoun. “He didn’t care for the surface, never engaged.”

Mr. Money then showed signs of rounding back to peak form in the May 23 Blame at Churchill by finishing fourth in a solid lineup. Afterward, however, with several targeted races canceled or delayed by the pandemic situation, Calhoun tried the colt in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on July 12 at Keeneland, and “that just wasn’t him.”

The coup de grâce of the 2020 frustration came in the Aug. 28 Charles Town Classic, a three-turn race in which Mr. Money finished last of 10 as the 5-2 favorite. The colt was checked and steadied on numerous occasions when giving futile chase to a wire-to-wire winner in what Calhoun gave a one-word description: “debacle.”

Since the Charles Town race, Mr. Money has “trained good, done good,” and Calhoun is fully expecting a big effort Saturday.

“He’ll be walking out of his own stall, and we know how much he likes this track,” said Calhoun, referring mostly to 2019 romps in the Pat Day Mile and Matt Winn. “Hopefully he’ll return to his best form.”

Aside from Mr. Money, the most accomplished starters in the Ack Ack are Warrior’s Charge, a two-time graded winner of $835,310, and Mocito Rojo, a winner in 18 of 32 starts.

Closing day of the September meet is Sunday, with Keeneland starting its 17-day fall meet on Oct. 2.