Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Mr. Money might wake up over home track in Ack Ack
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mr. Money is in agreement with anybody who says 2020 has been a lousy year.
As opposed to 2019, when the colt won four Grade 3 stakes in a row and earned $1,136,820, this has been a difficult year for Mr. Money. In four starts, he has finished no better than fourth, with his 2020 earnings a mere $15,550.
“Maybe he doesn’t like dealing with this COVID stuff, either,” joked trainer Bret Calhoun.
Look closer, however, and there are legitimate reasons why Mr. Money could jump up Saturday with his best race of the year in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack at his home track of Churchill Downs. Mr. Money is one of 14 older horses entered for the one-mile Ack Ack, the final stakes of the 14-day September meet.
“You hate to keep making excuses, but he really hasn’t had a fair shot this year,” said Calhoun.
Mr. Money, a bay Goldencents colt owned by Allied Racing and Spendthrift Farm, began his 4-year-old season returning from a five-month layoff with a sixth-place finish over a wet-fast track in the April 11 Oaklawn Mile. “It rained really hard right before the race,” said Calhoun. “He didn’t care for the surface, never engaged.”
Mr. Money then showed signs of rounding back to peak form in the May 23 Blame at Churchill by finishing fourth in a solid lineup. Afterward, however, with several targeted races canceled or delayed by the pandemic situation, Calhoun tried the colt in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on July 12 at Keeneland, and “that just wasn’t him.”
The coup de grâce of the 2020 frustration came in the Aug. 28
Charles Town Classic, a threeturn race in which Mr. Money finished last of 10 as the 5-2 favorite. The colt was checked and steadied on numerous occasions when giving futile chase to a wire-to-wire winner in what Calhoun gave a one-word description: “debacle.”
Since the Charles Town race, Mr. Money has “trained good, done good,” and Calhoun is fully expecting a big effort Saturday.
“He’ll be walking out of his own stall, and we know how much he likes this track,” said Calhoun, referring mostly to 2019 romps in the Pat Day Mile and Matt Winn. “Hopefully he’ll return to his best form.”
Aside from Mr. Money, the most accomplished starters in the Ack Ack are Warrior’s Charge, a two-time graded winner of $835,310, and Mocito Rojo, a winner in 18 of 32 starts.
Closing day of the September meet is Sunday, with Keeneland starting its 17-day fall meet on Oct. 2.
Romans has two in BC juvies
Dale Romans can well remember when Pat Byrne swept the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies in 1997 at Hollywood Park with Favorite Trick and Countess Diana.
“I’d love to do that at Keeneland this fall,” said Romans.
Toward that end, Romans will have Sittin On Go and Girl Daddy making their respective next starts in the Nov. 6 BC Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. Both are slated for their first breezes Saturday at Churchill since accounting for their own sweep of the Iroquois and Pocahontas during Kentucky Derby week.
“What they did was a pretty big deal to me,” said Romans. “My goal is to have them both fresh and fit for the Breeders’ Cup.”
Romans intends to have at least one more Breeders’ Cup starter in Sally’s Curlin, who will make her next start in the Nov. 7 BC Filly and Mare Sprint after finishing third in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff. He also is considering races at the Keeneland fall meet for Mr Freeze, winless in three starts since earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure in the Gulfstream Mile in February, and Attachment Rate, 14th of 15 in the Derby.
Mr Freeze is a possibility for the Oct. 10 Fayette, while Attachment Rate, who breezed a half-mile last Saturday in 49 seconds, is still eligible for a first-level allowance condition.
Late pick five loaded
Three allowance races are the highlights of a 10-race Friday program that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Carded as races 6, 8, and 9, they’re part of a late pick five that spans races 6-10.
Race 6 is a $79,000 secondlevel turf mile in which Cash Out and His Glory figure as the ones to beat.
Race 8 is a $77,000 first-level sprint that will have the Southern California shipper Julius looking to run yet another big one since Peter Miller claimed him for $20,000 in July.
Race 9 is an $81,000 third-level turf route in which Amazima, Belle Laura, and Julia’s Ready all rate decent chances in a field of eight fillies and mares.
Televised coverage of the entire card is available on FS2 (12:30-5:30 p.m.). The Friday forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 79.
◗ Tom’s d’Etat breezed a halfmile in 49.80 seconds early Tuesday at Churchill in his second work since finishing a troubled third in the Aug. 1 Whitney at Saratoga. The 7-year-old horse is training straight into the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic.