By My Standards 'where he needs to be' for 2019 Kentucky Derby

Until By My Standards came along, trainer Bret Calhoun never believed he had the type of 3-year-old colt worthy of running in the Kentucky Derby. But after saddling about 14,000 career starters — more than 3,000 of them winners, including a pair of Breeders’ Cup heroes — the wait is over.

“It's been a pretty bumpy road as a trainer to finally get here, and I’m really excited to be in the position we are,” Calhoun said Thursday after Louisiana Derby (G2) winner By My Standards breezed a half mile toward the 2019 Kentucky Derby in 48.80 seconds at Churchill Downs.

The pre-sunrise breeze under the Twin Spires marked the Goldencents colt’s second timed drill toward the Derby.

Speaking to Kevin Kerstein, a member of Churchill Downs’ media staff, jockey Gabriel Saez said By My Standards “keeps progressing really well. He didn’t really turn a hair at all this morning. I wanted to make sure I gave him an easy work like last week and he did everything on his own.”

With Fair Grounds’ final prep the earliest major Kentucky Derby qualifier, Calhoun has six weeks to prepare for the biggest race of his training career. That also means six weeks to ponder it.

“Horse trainers are naturally nervous people,” Calhoun said. “We’ve seen so many things come up in the last minute with horses. We’ll be on the edge of our chairs from now until Derby.”

Calhoun said he won’t “go overboard” with training the colt, purchased for $150,000 as a 2-year-old. Goldencents, a first-crop sire, ran in the Derby but did thrive at shorter distances.

“They will either get the distance or not,” Calhoun said. “He’s ready and where he needs to be.”

Saez indicated By My Standards will work twice more before the first Saturday in May.