Mr. Money Splits Rivals to Win Pat Day Mile
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Photo: Ryan Thompson
Mr. Money wins the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs
The stress of an afternoon at Churchill Downs spent waiting for By My Standards to take his place in the gate for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) lessened somewhat for Chester Thomas when Mr. Money barreled home to win the $400,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG and E and KU (G3).
Buoyed by his emotions as the rain continued to fall, Thomas—who owns Allied Racing Stable—was the first onto the Louisville track to congratulate jockey Gabriel Saez and take the shank of Mr. Money after the win. The two shared a brief moment of congratulations before a groom stepped in to lead the pair to the winner's circle.
"Great ride by (Saez)," said trainer Bret Calhoun. "He hit a little traffic and didn't panic. He really couldn't have waited any longer, couldn't hold him any longer. I knew they'd be coming, but when he split horses and got in the clear, he looked like a winner."
Sent off at odds of 7-1, Mr. Money settled in for a stalking trip as Mr Money Bags snatched the early lead to set fractions of :22.21 and :45.42 through the first half-mile. Favorite Instagrand hung tight to Mr Money Bags through the first turn but faltered when the field reached the six-furlong mark in 1:10.50.
The move allowed Saez and Mr. Money room to split between Manny Wah and Dunph, who were tracking the pace to the inside of Mr Money Bags. In control at the top of the lane, Mr. Money straightened, kicked home, and drew away to win by 5 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:35.21.
"It was a good race for him," Saez said. "He was finally able to get it back together again. I couldn't have a better trip than that. Saving ground for later, I split horses turning for home, and, man, the minute he was free, he explodes. He finished really well and handled the track and got the job done. He's been doing fabulous, day by day, week by week. He's been coming along, and I was just really happy with him today and thought he would run a big race, and he did."
Taking a wide trip up the outside, Hog Creek Hustle moved up to get clear for second and crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Dream Maker in third. Instagrand faded to finish eighth.
"Coming from the 13 hole, the race set up really well for me," said jockey Corey Lanerie, who was aboard Hog Creek Hustle. "I put myself right behind Instagrand, who was the horse to beat, and traveled well right behind him. We found a seam on the inside at the three-eighths pole, pointed toward it, and followed the winner. He just kicked home harder than we did."
The Pat Day Mile marked the first stakes win for Mr. Money, who, despite showing early promise, has been plagued with a series of setbacks that forced his owner, and especially his trainer, to be patient.
"He was a little bit more forward than By My Standards over the winter," Calhoun said. "We thought we had a great plan for him during the winter. We freshened him after the Breeders' Cup, and he was doing really good coming into the Lecomte at Fair Grounds. He got a temperature the night before and missed that race. We thought we got him back on track quickly, and it seemed like he was going into the next race really good. Two days before that race, he trained phenomenally well. The day before, he wasn't quite the same, and he got cast in his stall the night before. Nothing major, just a scratch on his hip, and it didn't appear like there was anything wrong. But something wasn't quite right that day."
Finally finding a start in the 1 1/8-mile Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) March 23 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the son of Goldencents made a five-wide advance in the far turn as the field turned for home but came up empty when asked and finished fifth, eight lengths behind winner By My Standards.
"In the Louisiana Derby, he ran a good race, didn't have a perfect trip," Calhoun said. "But he got up here and he's trained phenomenally well. We thought the Pat Day Mile would suit him. I don't know how far he wants to go, but based on the way he ran today, I don't think going a little farther is going to stop him."
Mr. Money finished seventh in his sophomore debut, the Feb. 16 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds. His only other stakes effort came at 2, when he ran fourth in the Nov. 2 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs.
"He's a horse that's excited us all along," Calhoun said. "I had enough confidence in him to ask Mr. Thomas to supplement him to the Breeders' Cup, and he gave us a cheap thrill at the three-eighths pole that day. He just wasn't quite good enough for the top tier, but we thought he'd get better over the winter and he did."
Bred in Kentucky by Spruce Lane Farm out of the Tiznow mare Plenty O'Toole, Mr. Money was purchased for $130,000 by bloodstock agent Josh Stevens—the same agent who purchased By My Standards—from the consignment of Woods Edge Farm to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Plenty O'Toole has a 2-year-old Palace colt named Mr. Kidd and a yearling filly by Awesome Again . The mare foaled a Speightstown filly in 2019.
Mr. Money has won twice and finished second twice in seven career starts. He has earned $400,080.