By My Standards 'ran like he needed to,' opens stakes options

Having progressed from a maiden victory to his Louisiana Derby (G2) win last year, By My Standards then didn’t run again after the Kentucky Derby, never quite establishing himself within racing’s glamour division.

Back with an allowance optional claiming score Sunday at Fair Grounds, By My Standards could, however, still develop into a force as an older horse.

Trainer Bret Calhoun said the Goldencents colt will return to stakes company off an easy six-length win, accomplished under a hand ride by jockey Gabriel Saez going 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.75.

“He ran like he needed to,” Calhoun said. “It was a good spot to come back in. It wasn’t a race that was so tough that it pushed him super hard. I think it’s a good race he can move forward off of. I’m happy with how everything went and how he bounced back.”

Calhoun said Fair Grounds’ March 21 New Orleans Stakes (G2) is “most likely the next spot” for By My Standards. He’ll also eye the April 18 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) worth $1 million, while Churchill Downs hosts the Alysheba (G2) on Kentucky Derby weekend.

By My Standards stalked an opening half mile in 49.29 seconds Sunday before ranging up beside pace-setting Two Emmys. Saez straightened his mount off the turn, and it was a smooth drive to the wire from there.

“He trained great coming back to the races,” Calhoun said. “We were very happy with the way he prepared for it. He pretty much ran as expected. You never know until you lead them over there, but he’d given us all the right signs in the morning, and he pretty much performed like he’d been training.”

Campaigned by Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing, By My Standards improved his record to 3-2-1 in seven starts. He took four races to break his maiden, with Calhoun saying the colt had somewhat of a lightbulb moment in his development. Then came the 22-1 Louisiana Derby upset.

By My Standards trained sharply into the Kentucky Derby but was compromised at the break, going on to be placed 11th. Plans were to appear in other derbies throughout the summer, but a nagging foot issue led connections to shut him down and wait for 2020.

Calhoun is also preparing four-time Grade 3 winner Mr. Money for his 4-year-old debut. Another Goldencents colt, he shows a pair of three-furlong breezes at Fair Grounds toward a potential return in April.

While Mr. Money was also a narrow second going nine furlongs in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), he could prove best at around a mile. As for By My Standards, “I think he’s pretty versatile, but I would say longer distances will be better,” Calhoun said.

“That gives us a lot of options keeping those two apart when Mr. Money comes back.”