Bret Calhoun

Allied Racing's MGSW By My Standards (Goldencents--A Jealous Woman, by Muqtarib) has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm, standing the 2022 breeding season for a fee of $7,500 S&N. "By My Standards came up with a quarter crack that was going to force us to miss the rest of our goals before the breeding season, so the decision was made for him to retire," explained Chester Thomas, owner and manager of Allied Racing Stable. "It's a bittersweet day because this is a special horse who...

DEL MAR, CA - With a tip on 2-year-old first-time starter Ocean Size (Maclean's Music), Jake Ballis watched with interest--and a win wager--on the fifth race at Colonial Downs Aug. 17. When Hidden Connection (Connect)--the co-second choice at 5-2 on the morning line for Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies--ran away to a daylight score carrying the colors of Hidden Brook Farm with Ocean Size back in second, the frontman for the fledgling partnership Black Type Thoroughbreds quickly switched gears. "When she drew off at the eighth pole, I looked...

On the heels of a breakout performance from his juvenile filly Hidden Connection (Connect) in Saturday's GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill, trainer Bret Calhoun joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday morning to talk about his new barn star, upcoming career milestones, the closure of his old home track Arlington Park this weekend and more. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Calhoun was asked about how Hidden Connection's 9 1/4-length tour de force beneath the Twin Spires compared to his expectations for...

Bret Calhoun, trainer of this weekend's GIII Pocohantas-winning filly Hidden Connection, joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss his star juvenile, give his take on the rise of the super trainer and more.

Hidden Connection (f, 2, Connect--C J's Gal, by Awesome Again) stalked and pounced her way to a dominating victory in the 'Win and You're In' GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs Saturday evening. Mama Rina (Gormley) was second; Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) was third. The 9-5 favorite got over from her outside draw and was three wide rounding the clubhouse turn. She found an ideal spot to press the early leader from second through fractions of :24.26 and :48.62. She took over within her own restraint approaching the quarter pole...

Hidden Brook Farm and Black-Type Thoroughbreds' Hidden Connection (Connect) marked her career unveiling in style, winning by a 7 ½-length margin going 5 1/2 panels at Colonial Aug. 17 and will try to add another notch to her belt in Saturday's 8 1/2-furlong GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs. "She was really impressive that day when she broke her maiden," said trainer Bret Calhoun. "She's only had this one race under her belt, so it's a test going two-turns. The way she ran last time gives us confidence in her."...

Mr. Wireless had done very little wrong this season, and showed up once again Saturday to collect his second consecutive graded victory in Mountaineer's West Virginia Derby. After finding himself in front heading into the first turn, Mr. Wireless was soon headed by Kinetic Sky and Bourbon Thunder as the duo took up position to his inside while Warrant was a couple of lengths back in fourth through an initial quarter in :23.82. Latched onto the outside flank of Bourbon Thunder following a :47.86 half, the 8-5 favorite drew on...

Calumet Farm's Bourbonic (Bernardini), overmatched in two legs of the Triple Crown after scoring a Grade II upset this spring, will step a few rungs down the class ladder Saturday when invading Mountaineer Park for the track's signature race on the calendar, the GIII West Virginia Derby. Breaking his maiden by open lengths for a $50,000 tag Dec. 6 at Aqueduct, the homebred repeated in a starter/optional claiming spot there Jan. 17 and was runner-up in a sloppy Parx allowance/optional claimer Feb. 23. Ambitiously spotted by Todd Pletcher off that...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-Fair Grounds, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 5:23 p.m. ET An intriguing cast of sophomore colts seek their diplomas at Fair Grounds Thursday. Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. paid $500,000 for K C Rocket (Kantharos) at OBSAPR '20 off a powerful :10 flat breeze and strong gallop out before turning him over to Al Stall, Jr. A $75,000 KEENOV weanling and $165,000 KEESEP yearling, the chestnut is out of a Midnight Lute daughter of dual champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy). While that Hall of Famer...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency The most expensive yearling and second-priciest progeny overall of superstar sire Quality Road to sell in 2019, FIND NEW ROADS, will open his account in this New Orleans dirt sprint Thursday afternoon. Hammering to Tom Durant for $950,000 at Keeneland September, the bay is out of a daughter of GSW Welcome Surprise (Seeking the Gold), herself a half-sister to dual champion and legendary super-sire A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) as well as Classic winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird). Trained by Bret Calhoun, Find New Roads shows...

Mr. Money (Goldencents--Plenty O'Toole, by Tiznow) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2021 at Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida. Mr. Money will stand as the property of Allied Racing LLC and Spendthrift Farm for $5,000 live foal in the 2021 breeding season. During his juvenile season, Mr. Money hit the board in his first two starts before breaking his maiden by 3 3/4 lengths going a mile and a sixteenth at Churchill Downs. The bay rounded out the season with a fourth...

By My Standards (Goldencents) worked a half-mile in :49.40 (42/67) at Churchill Downs Friday morning and is a probable starter for next Friday's GI Clark H., trainer Bret Calhoun told the Churchill press office via text. Owned by Chester Thomas's Allied Racing Stable, the 4-year-old was a non-factor eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 7, but prior to that posted a facile 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Alysheba S. beneath the Twin Spires Sept. 4. He defeated Owendale (Into Mischief) on that occasion and that...