Notable Louisiana Breds to Compete in $300,000 Grade 3 Indiana Derby

While the Mr. Money runner, Our Moneyman, is vying to uphold his sire’s legacy in the $300,000 Grade 2 Indiana Derby, his competition in the Saturday contest contains another promising 3-year-old Louisiana Bred colt, Creole Chrome.

They say money can’t buy happiness. But Mr. Money sure did, and now horse owner Chester Thomas is hoping for more of the same with Our Moneyman.

Seven years ago, Thomas’ 3-year-old colt Mr. Money sent the western Kentucky entrepreneur on one of the rides of his life, with a four-race victory streak that included the Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Now Thomas and trainer Bret Calhoun have Mr. Money’s son Our Moneyman on a similar path as the state’s $300,000 signature horse race is staged for the 32nd time Saturday. 

Both sire and son ran on the Kentucky Derby undercard their respective years with Mr. Money winning the 2019 Pat Day Mile (G2). Mr. Money won Churchill’s Matt Winn (G3) in his next start, then went on to take the Indiana Derby and West Virginia Derby (G3). Bred by Thomas in Louisiana, Our Moneyman rallied to be a good second in the June 7 Matt Winn behind Further Ado, who in the spring had won Keeneland’s Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass by 11 lengths.

In eight starts to date, Our Moneyman has never finished off the board, racing in both Louisiana and Kentucky. He has three wins, including the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes at two and the Crescent City Derby at three. He has placed second four times, three of them in stakes including the G3 Matt Winn. His earnings currently stand at $332,667.

Our Moneyman wins the Crescent City Derby at Fairgrounds. Hodges photo.

In his most recent victory, Creole Chrome was a blowout winner of the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Cheval on June 6th at Evangeline Downs, where he drew out by 18 lengths over Lee Street.

The Cheval, for 3-year-olds at a mile, was one of six Louisiana-bred stakes on the card. The races were each worth $100,000 and annually honor a group of Louisiana industry legends.

Creole Chrome returned to the Louisiana-bred ranks for the Cheval after a spring season in which he ran fourth in the G1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

In addition to the Cheval, Creole Chrome also won the Louisiana Stallion of the Year Star Guitar stakes, and ran second in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile last December.

The son of Volatile out of the Malibu Moon mare Funny Moon, currently has a record of four wins, one third and earnings of $254,400 from seven starts. Bred in Louisiana by Gulf Haven Farms, LLC, Creole Chrome is trained by Joe Sharp for owner, Three Diamonds Farm.