Mr. Money trounces foes in Matt Winn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It seems Mr. Money has no rival within the 3-year-old, Grade 3 stakes ranks at Churchill Downs. Saturday evening at Churchill, six weeks after a 5 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile on Derby Day, the colt returned to dominate by 6 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3, $150,000 Matt Winn on the Stephen Foster undercard.

As in the Pat Day Mile, Mr. Money looked like a winner throughout, confidently handled even when not in the lead. He broke alertly under regular jockey Gabe Saez, settled just off pacesetting Knicks Go as that one set splits of 24.19 seconds, 47.80, and 1:11.35, and overpowered his six rivals in the stretch. He completed 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.28, about a second off Gun Runner's stakes record of 1:41.12. He paid $3.20 as the prohibitive favorite.

“That’s what I wanted to see tonight,” said winning trainer Bret Calhoun. “He relaxed, turned off. He was tugged on him early on, and he finally dropped his head and relaxed down the backside. Obviously, he gave me a lot of confidence from that point on.”

The victory improved Mr. Money’s Churchill Downs record to 3 for 4, only losing locally when fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall. A son of Goldencents, he is 3 for 8 overall for owner Allied Racing Stable with earnings of $491,220.

He will get a chance to take his show on the road for an upcoming start, though he will not be going too far away. The Grade 3 Indiana Derby going 1 1/16 miles at Indiana Grand on July 13 is next.

“Two hours down the road, $500,000,” Calhoun said, explaining his rationale.

Signalman, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill last fall who had run ninth in the Preakness last month, rallied to be second in the Matt Winn, two lengths in front of third-place Proverb.

Disappointing as the 3-1 second choice was California invader Nolo Contesto, who after breaking poorly made a mild backstretch bid to advance into fifth before faltering in the stretch to finish last of seven.