Calhoun on what's next for By My Standards, Mr. Wireless

Trainer Bret Calhoun said he experienced “the highs and lows of racing in a matter of 10 minutes” after seeing Mr. Wireless capture a second graded-stakes triumph in the West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer before saddling By My Standards to a fifth-place finish in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga.

Second in last year’s Whitney to Improbable, By My Standards stumbled and lost a front left shoe a few strides leaving the gate. Unable to catch pacesetter and winner Knicks Go, By My Standards trailed throughout and finished 15 1/2 lengths off the winner.

[What we learned: 4 takeaways from the Whitney results]

Calhoun said By My Standards, a 5-year-old son of Goldencents, emerged from the race in good order.

“For what he went through he came back pretty well, better than expected,” Calhoun said. “He stumbled twice and wasn’t going to do too well without a shoe. The foot is a little sore and we got lucky it didn’t tear anything up. He’s just a little bruised up is all.”

A four-time graded stakes winning millionaire, By My Standards arrived at the Whitney off a runner-up effort despite a troubled trip in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 5 at Belmont Park.

Calhoun said By My Standards could target the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 4 at Saratoga.

“The Whitney was a race we had dialed in for quite some time,” Calhoun said. “Obviously, you don’t know what to take from that race other than just drawing a line through it. We’ll figure out where we go. I wouldn’t think the Jockey Club is impossible. Knicks Go ran them off their feet, went fast early and he kept on running. He just ran that race he ran in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Mr. Wireless notched a second graded-stakes triumph in the West Virginia Derby after winning the Indiana Derby (G3) on July 7 at Indiana Grand Race Course.

Calhoun said the son of Dialed In could return in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) on Sept. 25 at Parx.