The Louisiana Derby-G2 seemed like a lock for War of Will, but one bad step a few feet from the gate seemed to sideline this magnificent horse and leave his future uncertain, while 22-1 longshot By My Standards, by Spendthrift’s second crop sire Goldencents, picked up the pieces.

By My Standards became Goldencents’ first graded stakes winner, bringing his earnings up to over $650,000, and giving him 100 points toward that Kentucky Derby date. Trained by Brett Calhoun, the colt had only broken his maiden previously, but now must be considered a contender.

Nine-year-old Goldencents stands for $20,000, which now seems like a bargain, since his progeny earnings have skyrocketed to $1,119,140 thanks to By My Standards, putting him well ahead of second place second crop sire Cairo Prince by nearly half a million dollars. By perennial leading sire Into Mischief, who also stands at Spendthrift, Goldencents has bestowed his own precocity and resilience upon his offspring. If milers do indeed make the best sires, as the saying goes, then Goldencents, who twice won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile-G1, at three and at four, seems poised to continue his elite sire’s success at stud.

By My Standards is out of the Muqtarib mare A Jealous Woman, and the most interesting aspect of his pedigree is that his third dam, Stormfeather, is by Storm Bird, out of the Secretariat mare Mazama, making Stormfeather a three-quarters sister to the great Storm Cat himself, Goldencents’ great-great-great grandfather, himself by Storm Bird and out of the Secretariat mare Terlinqua. Thus, the topline of sires and the tail female line of mares in By My Standards is duplicated on the zig zag. Inbreeding to Mr. Prospector and more Secretariat (through Gone West’s dam) and Northern Dancer (through the Minstrel as well as through the aforementioned Storm Bird), complete the strengths of this pedigree.

Goldencents is now officially on the map of young sires to watch, and Brett Calhoun has a serious contender in his barn. By My Standard’s pedigree says that the mile and a quarter of the Kentucky Derby should be no problem for this very promising colt.

-- Roberta Smoodin