Mr. Big News takes on Churchill's Matt Winn with Derby dreams

Speaking Monday, trainer Bret Calhoun said there were multiple reasons why Churchill Downs’ Grade 3, $150,000 Matt Winn Stakes isn’t an ideal spot for Mr. Big News’ next start.

For one, the last out winner of the Oaklawn Stakes at 1 1/8 miles will be forced to go 1 1/16 miles in the Winn.

“We’d like to be farther and don’t really want to shorten up,” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “The other thing is, it doesn’t have a large amount of (Kentucky Derby) points, so that leaves a little bit of a problem, too.”

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on the national stakes schedule, a little bit of a problem is manageable. This one worked itself out anyway.

Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers told radio host Steve Byk on Tuesday that the Matt Winn, originally offering a 10-4-2-1 points distribution to its top-four finishers, has been upped to a 50-20-10-5 event.

Suddenly, Mr. Big News' next target race is a major factor on the road to a Sept. 5 Derby with the race led by come-backing anticipated favorite Maxfield, who's exiting a layoff dating back to last October’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.

Mr. Big News is a later-blooming Giant’s Causeway colt campaigned by the familiar combo of Calhoun and Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing. He broke his maiden at fourth asking in January, finished fifth in the Risen Star (G2) and was then excluded on earnings from trying the Louisiana Derby (G2).

Running last time over a sloppy track, Mr. Big News rallied to win the Oaklawn Stakes, which offered a guaranteed spot in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Calhoun, however, pumped the brakes, allowing for more spacing between starts.

“We’d like to save the horse,” the trainer said. “…Getting to run out of his own stall and save some stress — wear and tear — as well as getting a race over that surface is probably going to be beneficial.”

Plus, in terms of points, “Knowing there’s a lot of time between now and the Derby, he’ll either deserve to qualify or he won’t. You’ve got plenty of time to run some more races.”

Nominations were due Monday for the Matt Winn, which Calhoun and Allied Racing won last June with Mr. Money, who went on to take the Indiana Derby (G3) and West Virginia Derby (G3). The event moved up on the schedule in 2020 as racing resumes in Kentucky for the first time since March.

This summer, quite a few important stakes for 3-year-olds are expected in a short amount of time leading up to the Derby, including Keeneland’s Blue Grass (G2). Officials in Lexington, Ky., are seeking summer dates to run an abbreviated meet that could attract a horse like Mr. Big News should the Winn go well.