Mr. Money has proven more or less unbeatable since a breakout romp in the GIII Pat Day Mile on GI Kentucky Derby Day May 4, and the progressive colt strung together his fourth consecutive win Saturday while becoming a millionaire.
Breaking well from a high draw, the heavy favorite locked on to Plus Que Parfait early and traveled under stout restraint through opening splits of :24.42 and :49.10. He poked a head in front turning for home, and was clearly going much better than his rivals as he hit the top of the lane. Kept to task, he bounded away with powerful strides to run up the score as he pleased.
A convincing third-out winner last September at Churchill in his first route try, Mr. Money was far from disgraced when fourth behind Game Winner (Candy Ride {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile over the same track and trip. He resurfaced to be seventh behind War of Will (War Front) and Country House (Lookin At Lucky) in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 16, and settled for fifth behind longshot stablemate By My Standards (Goldencents) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 23. He put it all together when cut back for the one-turn-mile Pat Day, but had no trouble stretching back out to air in the GIII Matt Winn S. back under the Twin Spires June 15. He earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure while taking the GIII Indiana Derby by 2 1/2 lengths July 13 and avoiding a loose horse in the process.
Saturday, Mountaineer
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY-GIII, $500,000, Mountaineer Casino & Resort, 8-3, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.28, ft.
1–MR. MONEY, 120, c, 3, by Goldencents
1st Dam: Plenty O'Toole, by Tiznow
2nd Dam: O' Toole, by Distorted Humor
3rd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
($130,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Allied Racing Stable, LLC;
B-Spruce Lane Farm (KY); T-W. Bret Calhoun; J-Gabriel Saez.
$301,000. Lifetime Record: 10-5-2-0, $1,074,220.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Chess Chief, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Un Blessed, by
Mineshaft. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '17 FTSAUG). O-Estate of James
Coleman, Jr.; B-Morgan's Ford Farm (VA); T-Dallas Stewart.
$100,000.
3–Plus Que Parfait, 122, r, 3, Point of Entry–Belvedera, by Awesome Again. ($24,000 RNA Wlg '16 KEENOV; $135,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Imperial Racing, LLC; B-Calloway Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $50,000.
Margins: 6, NK, 4HF. Odds: 0.50, 35.40, 6.10.
Also Ran: Top Line Growth, Chilly in Charge, Math Wizard, Fluminense, Conative, Cornstarch. Scratched: Grumps Little Tots. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Pedigree Notes:
A half-brother to the 2-year-old colt Mr. Kidd (Palace)–who recorded his first published breeze last week (3f, :38.60, 7/8 at Churchill July 27); yearling filly by Awesome Again that fetched $190,000 as aweanling at KEENOV last fall; and a filly foal by Speightstown, Mr. Money is out of 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 (Tiznow) and Life Well Lived (Tiznow), the dam of GISW American Patriot (War Front). Plenty O'Toole was bred back to Ghostzapper for 2020.
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