Calhoun Aims for Classic Success With Mr. Big News

Knowing the difficulties many people have faced this year in racing and beyond, trainer Bret Calhoun sounds a bit apologetic when he notes that on the track he's enjoyed a strong 2020 season.

Calhoun has sent out 4-year-old By My Standards, who last year won the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and became the trainer's first Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) starter, to victories in three grade 2 races and a runner-up finish in the Whitney Stakes (G1). The son of Goldencents  is considered one of the top contenders for this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). 

While By My Standards has made headlines throughout the year, Calhoun also is back with a horse in the classics with late-arriving Mr. Big News. A last-minute decision to enter Mr. Big News in the Derby paid off when the son of Giant's Causeway made a big move entering the far turn of the 1 1/4-mile classic at Churchill Downs to finish third behind winner Authentic and runner-up Tiz the Law. The close finish—at odds of 46-1—gave Calhoun the first classic placing of his career.

Now Calhoun is pointing Mr. Big News, who didn't secure his maiden win until January, to the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes (G1). The delayed Triple Crown schedule has worked well for Mr. Big News, who has developed right on that schedule after taking four starts to earn his maiden win before winning the April 11 Oaklawn Stakes and placing in the Derby.

"You always dream of the Derby and the Triple Crown," Calhoun said, noting that it's only been in recent years that it's become more of a realistic goal for him. "I'd never really felt close enough to it to even have that kind of dream; to make that dream come true. I thought last year with By My Standards we were very, very live going into the Derby in our first appearance. Things didn't work out as well. 

"Coming into this year, there really wasn't any pressure to get there with this horse. We just let him take us along for the ride. He ended up taking us there. The points and everything kind of came together so it was really special. I never really thought about it too much."

While Mr. Big News came up short of the day's biggest prize Sept. 5 at Churchill, his third-place finish at long odds showed he deserved to be in the race. 

One day before the Sept. 1 Derby draw, Calhoun and owner Chester Thomas of Allied Racing Stable decided to enter the Louisville classic. They had been leaning toward an exploratory try on turf. But rain in the forecast had them thinking they might not even get a true evaluation of the son of Giant's Causeway on the grass and they opted to try the Derby, hoping he'd return to the form that saw him rally from 11th to win the Oaklawn Stakes.

"I really never wanted to get involved in the Triple Crown unless I felt like I had a legitimate chance," Calhoun said. "I think that he proved himself in the Derby and hopefully he'll run as well, if not better, in the Preakness."

Classic success by a horse who didn't get a Derby nod from his connections until five days before the race would seem appropriate for veteran trainer Calhoun, who didn't earn his first $1 million season in purse earnings until nine years into his career in 2002. Eight years later he claimed his first Breeders' Cup victories with a pair of former claimers in Chamberlain Bridge in the Turf Sprint (G2T) and Dubai Majesty in the Sentient Jet Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). 

This year the barn has been paced by By My Standards, who turned heads with his Derby Weekend victory in the Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet (G2). Earlier this year he won the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) and a particularly tough edition of the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) before finishing second to Tom's d'Etat in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) and second to Improbable in the Whitney.

"That gives me a lot of confidence moving forward," Calhoun said. "If Improbable is going to be the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic, I would say that gives me a lot of confidence in a huge shot."

By My Standards, and Mr. Big News, as well as recent Ack Ack Stakes (G3) winner Mr. Money, are owned by Allied Racing Stable. Calhoun credits Thomas with sending him some talented horses to work with and then giving him time.

"He's really patient and lets me make the right decisions for the horses along the way," Calhoun said, noting that they often talk out the best plan for horses. "There have been times that maybe he wanted to push a horse or we both wanted to push. I would sit back and play devil's advocate and say we need to do this or that. We come up with a plan and then he's totally on board and he let's me manage the horses."

Thomas said a few years ago he had been looking for a trainer who also could help him with some Louisiana-bred runners and settled on Calhoun. He now has about 30 horses with the trainer.

"Bret's a very good horseman, pays a lot of attention to detail, and works hard, but probably the biggest key to our success is that I'm not telling him what to do," Thomas said. "I'm not pushing to run in this race or pushing him to run in that race. It's more, 'Bret just do your thing. We're winning at a high clip here so keep it going. That's probably the biggest key."

Thomas noted the work Calhoun did with By My Standards, avoiding a temptation of bringing him back too soon after his run in the 2019 Derby where he finished 11th.

"The key there was this horse was training phenomenally well after the Derby but Bret, being the great horseman that he is, knew the horse was a tick off. He couldn't put his finger on it," Thomas said. "He had the horse scanned and didn't really find anything major—just a couple of small things."

Thomas believes that time off allowed By My Standards to come back with a powerful season this year.

The other graded stakes winner this season for Calhoun is Tom Durant's Silver Dust, who won the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) earlier this year.

Calhoun is thrilled to be enjoying success this season but he's fully aware of the challenges many have faced. In terms of racing, he's appreciative of the efforts of tracks, and the workers at those tracks, for finding a way to offer racing throughout this season.

"With all things said, it's been a pretty good year for us for sure. We've got some really nice horses in the barn," Calhoun said. "I feel very fortunate to be able to have these horses and to be able to find places for them to compete and compete on a big stage a lot of this year."