Mr. Money puts bad luck behind him in Pat Day Mile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When the year began, trainer Bret Calhoun figured if he was going to have a runner in the Kentucky Derby, it would be Mr. Money.

Between illness and a stall incident, it was a difficult winter for Mr. Money, who lost his first two starts of the year, both in route stakes at Fair Grounds.

Saturday, back at Churchill Downs and back to a one-turn race, Mr. Money showed why Calhoun had such high hopes for the colt as Mr. Money dominated the Grade 3, $400,000 Pat Day Mile by 5 1/4 lengths. Hog Creek Hustle finished second by 2 1/2 lengths over Dream Maker.

Meanwhile, Instagrand, the even-money favorite, finished eighth in a field of 13.

It was Mr. Money’s first win since he captured a seven-furlong maiden race here last Sept. 28. Off of that race, Calhoun convinced owner Chester Thomas to supplement Mr. Money to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where he finished fourth behind Game Winner.

Mr. Money was slated to run in the Lecomte in January, but developed a temperature and didn’t make the race. Two nights before the Risen Star, Mr. Money got cast in his stall. He wasn’t hurt, but it obviously impacted his performance and he finished seventh. Mr. Money came back in the Louisiana Derby, with hopes of still making the Derby, but he finished fifth, eight lengths behind stablemate By My Standards, who was entered to run in the Kentucky Derby.

“He was our Derby horse before By My Standards was,” Calhoun said. “Everything went perfect until the day before the Lecomte. We were trying to catch up all winter, we just didn’t get it done in time.”

Mr. Money was right on time Saturday. Under Gabriel Saez, Mr. Money was an up close fifth down the backside while Mr Money Bags set the pace pressured by Manny Wah and Dunph. The half-mile went in 45.42 seconds.

At the three-eighths pole, Mr. Money split Dunph and Manny Wah. He came to the quarter pole with a clear lead and then dominated from there.

Mr. Money, a son of Goldencents, covered the mile in 1:35.21 and returned $17.

“When he split horses and got in the clear, he looked like a winner,” Calhoun said.

Though Mr. Money’s success has come in one-turn races, Calhoun believes the horse will run farther. He wanted to see how By My Standards ran in the Kentucky Derby before he deciding whether Mr. Money would be considered for the Preakness in two weeks.

“Based on the way he ran today, going a little farther isn’t going to stop him,” Calhoun said.

Javier Castellano said Instagrand, who was coming out of a third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby, had no interest in running Saturday. He finished eighth, beaten 15 3/4 lengths.

“He’s usually the type of horse that’s quick out of the gate and he puts you right there,” Castellano said. “Today, I had to force him, I had to chase to be in my spot, he never grabbed the bit. He was off the bridle all the way from the beginning of the race. He didn’t want to be part of it today.”