Mr. Money Rolls to West Virginia Derby Victory
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Photo: Coady Photography
Mr. Money wins the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer
Allied Racing Stable's Mr. Money ran himself to millionaire status Aug. 3 when he notched his fourth consecutive graded stakes victory in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.
The 3-year-old Goldencents colt entered the Saturday feature off victories in the May 4 Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by LG and E and KU (G3), the June 15 Matt Winn Stakes (G3), and the July 13 Indiana Derby (G3).
After opting for the West Virginia Derby over the Aug. 24 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, trainer Bret Calhoun has the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing under consideration.
"It's a good possibility," Calhoun said. "That's definitely where we are hoping to be."
Mr. Money, bet down to the 1-2 favorite in the West Virginia Derby, was paired with his regular jockey, Gabriel Saez, for the 1 1/8-mile event. Saez settled Mr. Money to the outside of Plus Que Parfait after an uneventful break. Plus Que Parfait, who returned to the dirt after a sixth-place finish in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park, set easy fractions of :24.42 and :49.10 through the first half-mile.
As the field approached the three-eighths pole, Mr. Money had his head in front to run three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.99 before opening on the field. Taking the two path in the open stretch, Mr. Money won as he pleased, getting a mile in 1:37.47 before hitting the wire in 1:50.28 on a fast track.
"(Calhoun) has done a tremendous job with him, and my job was to find the winner's circle," Saez said. "On the final turn, I asked him to get it done, and here we are. Good horses make you look good."
Allied Racing Stable's Chester Thomas said he hopes bigger and better things are ahead.
"Bret has done a great job, and from what I could see, Gabe did a wonderful job getting him to relax (through slow fractions)," Thomas said. "I knew he was sitting on a lot of horse when he let him loose. What we saw on paper became reality."
Six lengths back was 35-1 shot Chess Chief, followed by Plus Que Parfait, Top Line Growth, Chilly in Charge, Math Wizard, Fluminense, Conative, and Cornstarch.
Mr. Money has earned $1,074,220 from a 5-2-0 record in 10 starts.
"He's a very good horse, and Chester has allowed me to manage him in a good way to keep his confidence level up," Calhoun said.
The bay colt was a $130,000 purchase by J. Stevens Bloodstock from Woods Edge Farm's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Bred in Kentucky by Spruce Lane Farm, Mr. Money is out of the winning Tiznow mare Plenty O'Toole, whose dam is a half sister to Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) winner Well Armed, also by Tiznow.
Plenty O'Toole, the dam of two winners from as many starters, foaled a Speightstown filly Feb. 17 and was bred back to Ghostzapper .
Tom Durant's Silver Dust set the tone for the Calhoun stable one race earlier when he dug in to score a half-length victory over Kukulkan in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Stakes (G3), run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Guided by Jack Gilligan, Silver Dust came from third after stalking Kukulkan throughout before putting away a stubborn rival. The 5-year-old Tapit gelding stopped the clock in 1:43.85.
"I thought it went very well," Calhoun said. "He was very professional. ... He can be a real handful—in the paddock and around the (starting) gate, but he did everything right today. There have been times he has hung (in the stretch), but today he went gamely to the wire."
Other stakes on the undercard included the West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup, West Virginia Secretary of State, West Virginia Legislature Chairman's Cup, West Virginia Senate President's Cup, and Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial, each with a $75,000 purse.
Glen Hill Farm's homebred Caribou Club kicked off the stakes action in the Speaker's Cup going one mile and 70 yards on the turf. The 5-year-old City Zip gelding rallied from sixth to set a course record in 1:37.09 on firm going, finishing 1 1/4 lengths the best.
In the Secretary of State, for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on the main track, Oscar Benavides and Alejandro Machado's Maybe Wicked captured her first stakes victory. The 4-year-old Mizzen Mast filly took over early and drew off by 3 1/4 lengths for a final time of 1:10.53.
Ed and Susie Orr's Zipp On By stole the show in the Chairman's Cup, a short 4 1/2-furlong sprint on the dirt. The 5-year-old City Zip gelding controlled every moment despite bobbling at the start and hit the wire in :51.50 while 6 3/4 lengths in front. Saturday's race was his first stakes victory.
The President's Cup went to Augustin Stable's Lift Up. The 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare saved ground on the inside before surging along the hedge from fifth to complete the one mile and 70 yards on turf in a quick 1:37.21. She was clear by 1 1/2 lengths.
Only four entered the starting gate for the Senator Robert C. Byrd Memorial, a six-furlong event on the dirt. Stonehedge's 7-year-old Always Sunshine made a patient trip worth it when he got up for a two-length win. The West Acre gelding completed the trip in 1:10.62.