‘Upper echelon’ Mr. Money to get Grade 1 chance — eventually

It won’t be in Mr. Money’s next start, trainer Bret Calhoun said, that the emerging star colt runs at the highest level as he points to Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Indiana Derby rather than the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 20.

But connections see two paths to the top level after the son of Goldencents goes as a heavy favorite at Indiana Grand.

“We’ll see how he continues to perform and progress, but also how the rest of the 3-year-olds around the country are doing,” Calhoun said. “That’s partially a factor, too. We feel like our horse has gotten to the upper echelon of the 3-year-old crop.

“We obviously know he needs to keep moving forward and prove himself against the best. One of these days we’re hopefully going to be in a position to prove himself.”

From the Indiana Derby, Mr. Money could go on to the Aug. 3 West Virginia Derby (G3) before taking on the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1). If he runs big enough Saturday, connections will also consider going to the Aug. 24 Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

“We’re definitely looking down the road for a Grade 1,” Calhoun said.

Mr. Money, a son of Goldencents campaigned by Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing, flashed potential when fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November. He missed his intended season debut due to a mild sickness the weekend of the race, then ran seventh and fifth in Fair Grounds’ final Kentucky Derby preps.

Third off the layoff, the colt broke out as a 5 1/4-length winner of Churchill Downs’ Pat Day Mile (G3). Back the next month, he looked arguably more dominant when winning the June 15 Matt Winn (G3) by 6 1/2 lengths.

While the Haskell’s purse and prestige was tempting, the Indiana Derby had been a target all along.

“It’s close to home — two-hour ship — so there’s a little less stress traveling,” Calhoun said. “We think that’ll help keep him fresher for a little longer 3-year-old campaign.”

The Haskell, in addition to Maximum Security, has attracted the colt that beat him in Monmouth Park’s Pegasus Stakes.

“That’s in Maximum Security’s backyard and, basically, King for a Day’s backyard,” Calhoun said. “We would be going in with a little disadvantage.”

Beyond the Pennsylvania Derby, Mr. Money could naturally progress to taking on older rivals going a route of ground. That’s unlikely to happen, however, in the Breeders’ Cup, be it the Dirt Mile or Classic.

Thomas, Mr. Money's owner, recently said he has “no intention” of running at Santa Anita Park, where 30 horses died as a result of injuries in racing or training during a season that concluded last month. The Breeders’ Cup recently reaffirmed it will contest the championships there Nov. 1-2.

“We’ve had a brief discussion about it,” Calhoun said of Thomas’ stance. “With all the things that are going on in that environment out there, I don’t think we’d have a big interest in going out there at this point in time. Obviously they have some issues to work though. Right now, I don’t think that would be much of a consideration for us.”

Mr. Money, a $130,000 auction purchase as a 2-year-old, has accumulated more than $490,000 in earnings so far with a record of 3-2-0 in eight starts. Thomas and Calhoun also team to campaign the Louisiana Derby (G2) winner By My Standards, currently sidelined due to foot soreness.

“Right now, Mr. Money is on the improve and we’re going to go see what we can do with him,” Thomas told Horse Racing Nation last month. “And maybe there’ll be a day we need to put him on the shelf and come back with By My Standards.”