Mr. Money stays hot in Indiana Derby (G3)

Goldencents’ top 3-year-old colt Mr. Money won his third consecutive graded stakes Saturday night at Indiana Downs with a 2 ½-length victory in the $500,000 Indiana Derby (G3).

Last year’s number two First-Crop Sire, Goldencents has outdone himself in 2019 and is the leading Second-Crop Sire to date with over $2.7 million in progeny earnings, more than $700,000 ahead of his nearest pursuer.

The Derby drama started right at the break as Eskenforit lost the rider at the start but kept running with the field. Mr. Money was away in good order and in third on the outside of horses for the first half-mile. Eskenforit came along his outside and passed the eventual winner entering the far turn. Gabriel Saez kept Mr. Money back off the loose horse until moving to his inside at the top of the stretch, when he cleared the rest of the field and went on to win by 2 ½ lengths in 1:41.80, less than a second off the track record.

“He put me in a good position, so I was just talking to him all the way around—’Come on, son, relax. Let’s go. We’re going to get this done,'” Saez said. “I was trying to get him to relax, and when I asked him to get the job done, he exploded. I’m just really glad he won the way he did today.”

Mr. Money previously won the Pat Day Mile (G3) and Matt Winn (G3) to start his current streak, and has a few options for his next start according to trainer Bret Calhoun.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this race and make a decision,” Calhoun said. “The West Virginia Derby is a little quick, coming back in three weeks. But then you get a good break to the Pennsylvania Derby. Or we can decide to go to Saratoga to go to the Travers and take on the top echelon.”

Owned by Allied Racing Stable, Mr. Money is now 4-2-0 in nine starts and has earned $773,220. He was bred by Spruce Lane Farm.

Pedigree Notes from the TDN:

A half-brother to the 2-year-old colt Mr. Kidd,  Mr. Money is out of Plenty O’Toole, a winning daughter of O’Toole, a full-sister to GSW Witty and to GISP Helsinki. His stakes-winning third dam produced G1 Dubai World Cup hero Well Armed.