Mr. Money Back to Work, By My Standards Returns to Race

Millionaire and multiple grade 3 winner Mr. Money has returned to the work tab at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for trainer Bret Calhoun, who has also entered stablemate By My Standards, winner of last year's Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), for his 4-year-old debut in New Orleans.

Mr. Money, owned by Allied Racing Stable and Spendthrift Farm, worked three furlongs in :37 3/5 Feb. 3. It was his first work back since finishing seventh in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

"Everything went great. He's been here for a little while," Calhoun said Feb. 4. "He's put several short two-minute licks in, just building up to his first breeze. Obviously, we tried to work him a little slower than the :37 and change he went, but that's about as slow as you're going to get him to go. That's like a gallop to him pretty much. He worked very, very well, very easily, and came out of it very good."

Calhoun said there are no races pinpointed on the radar yet for Mr. Money, but connections are hoping to have him ready to race in early April. The 4-year-old Goldencents  colt received 60 days off after his Breeders' Cup effort before returning to Fair Grounds.

"He'll get ready when he gets ready, hopefully everything goes smooth, and he'll be ready in 60 days or so, something like that," Calhoun said.

Mr. Money won four consecutive grade 3 events during his sophomore campaign—the Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG & E and KU, Matt Winn Stakes, Indiana Derby, and West Virginia Derby. He was also second beaten a neck in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).

By My Standards, another 4-year-old Goldencents colt campaigned by Chester Thomas' Allied Racing Stable, is set to make his comeback Feb. 9 at Fair Grounds, where he has been working regularly since late November. Calhoun entered By My Standards in a $47,000 two-other-than allowance optional claiming event run at 1 1/16 miles. It will be the colt's first start since finishing 11th in the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Gabriel Saez is assigned to ride.

"The good and the bad of that is, the bad is he's still eligible for a two-other-than and the good is he's still eligible for a two-other-than. It's a great place to come off the bench, come off a long layoff," Calhoun said. "Most of the time these horses like that they have to come back in graded stakes. It makes it twice as hard on them. You have to train on them a lot harder and the races are that much tougher. We're really happy to find this spot and that it went. We think he's ready, he's training really, really well. We're pretty excited to run him and hopefully he performs well on Sunday and he'll move back into a stakes schedule after that."

Calhoun also trains Mailman Money, a 3-year-old Goldencents colt, for Allied Racing Stable. Mailman Money is undefeated in two starts and is expected to make his stakes debut in the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln (G2) at Fair Grounds. The 1 1/8-mile Risen Star offers points toward a spot in the May 2 Kentucky Derby on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the first four finishers.

Mailman Money pulled off a 24-1 upset in his career debut Nov. 30, a six-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. He returned Jan. 12 at Fair Grounds to win by 5 3/4 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race going one mile and 70 yards.

"Mailman Money's kind of the one that reminds you a little bit more of By My Standards physically, developing slower. He's coming around every day, he's making improvements," Calhoun said. "There's times where you see a lot of physical change and then right now it's slow, gradual progression. He's a horse that's been a pleasant surprise in the fact that he's been able to win both of his starts. Mentally he's still a big kid, too. I don't think he's completely figured things out yet. He goes out there on race day, he puts his head down, and runs. In the mornings you can tell; he's solid in the mornings but he's not completely dialed in yet. He hasn't completely figured everything out.

"I think there's a possibility of a lot of improvement with him physically and mentally as time goes on. I think that's what gives us a lot of hope with him. He's been pretty good so far and we think he can get a lot better."