Mine That Bird back in New
Mexico
Roswell, NM (Nov. 14, 2009)
Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird
has returned to his New Mexico base
and is getting some time off
following his ninth-place finish in
last weekend's $5 million Breeders'
Cup Classic. He is settled in at a
Roswell training center facility (Double
Eagle Training Center) owned by
Mark Allen, who races Mine That Bird
in partnership with Dr. Leonard
Blach (Buena
Suerte Equine).
"He's home at Double Eagle,
turned out," said Chip Woolley, who
trains Mine That Bird. "We're going
to rest him for a while, probably
get him back up the first of the
year."
Woolley said Mine That Bird's
campaign for 2010 will begin to be
mapped out when he resumes training.
The plan is to keep the horse on
dirt, on which he won the Kentucky
Derby and also finished second in
the Preakness and third in the
Belmont Stakes.
Mine That Bird, a winner of more
than $2 million, earned a Beyer
Figure of 95 in the Breeders' Cup
Classic, which was run over Santa
Anita's Pro-Ride.
|
Mine That Bird
– Update - Nov. 2, 2009 - The Kentucky
Derby winner, with jockey Joe Talamo
aboard, worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5
on Monday morning at Santa Anita in
preparation for his start in the
Classic.
“He worked super, really super,” said
trainer Chip Woolley just moments after
watching the workout. “I was looking for
1:02, but it was just what we wanted. He
really looked good getting over the
ground and was just gliding out there. I
was a little concerned after that last
workout (58 1/5 on 10/26) that he would
get into the bridle today, but he was
nice and relaxed and galloped out really
strong.
“The last work doesn’t look like it did
any damage. Whenever you have a bullet
workout, a horse tends to get into the
bridle in a race. Let’s just say that I
was really glad that that work was two
weeks before the race.
“What really has helped him is that
they’ve tightened the track. It’s really
helped him fire off the ground. He’s
like a jackrabbit with the way his hind
end pushes him forward.”
Woolley said that Mine That Bird has
really come around since finishing sixth
in the Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita
on Oct. 10.
“He really needed that last race,” said
Woolley. “He had gone flat on me and I
trained him all I could, but it’s not
the same as a race. He’s gotten
stronger, you could see it a few days
after that race. He has really
blossomed. Even (trainer) Richard
Mandella (who had the horse when he
finished last in the Juvenile last year)
said he looks good.”
Jockey Calvin Borel, aboard for the
Derby win and the Goodwood, has the
mount in the Classic. |
| |
 ON
HIS OWN TWO FEET, WOOLLEY PREPARES MINE
THAT BIRD FOR CLASSIC
- For the first time in
eight months, Chip Woolley Jr. was
walking on his own two feet Thursday.
The trainer of Kentucky Derby winner
Mine That Bird had been navigating with
the aid of crutches since breaking his
right leg in a motorcycle accident in El
Paso, Texas, but on a sun-filled morning
at Clockers’ Corner, the 45-year-old New
Mexico native was limping along sans
support.
“I actually started walking without them
yesterday afternoon,” said Woolley, who
is preparing Mine That Bird for the $5
million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Oak
Tree on Nov. 7. “It was eight months
yesterday since I had the crutches. I’m
happy to be rid of them. The doc called
me yesterday afternoon and told me I
could start walking. |
|
|
MINE THAT BIRD POINTS TO BREEDERS’ CUP
CLASSIC - MONDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2009
Kentucky Derby winner
Mine That Bird will remain at Santa
Anita and point to the Breeders’ Cup
Classic at Oak Tree on Nov. 7, trainer
Chip Woolley said Monday morning.
“We were disappointed with his race in
the Goodwood Stakes (sixth, beaten about
four lengths), but now that I’ve had a
chance to sleep on it and talk things
over with the owners, we’re going to the
Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Woolley said.
Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird to
his Derby triumph, and was reunited with
the gelding for the Goodwood, has the
mount in the Classic, in which Woolley
expects more favorable conditions for
the 3-year-old son of Birdstone.
“You can’t get that far out of it when
the pace is that slow,” he said. “My
horse closed, and he ran pretty fast
when you go back and analyze the race.
My horse finished up the last
five-eighths in :58, but what are you
gonna do? The other ones aren’t slowing
down, when they go a :48.54 half. I’ll
bet you there’s not a Grade I in the
country run that slow for the first half
mile all year--not on a fast race
track.”
Mine That Bird jogged one mile Monday
and will have “at least two, maybe
three” breezes before the $5 million
Classic at 1 1/4 miles, Woolley said.
“The horse is real happy today. He wants
to play a little.”
Meanwhile, Woolley will take a little
personal play time himself tonight. He
plans to park in front of a TV to watch
his favorite NFL team, the Miami
Dolphins, host the New York Jets on
Monday Night Football.
Woolley indicated he’d stick with The
Fish and take the 2 1/2 points. |
|
|
MINE THAT BIRD FINE,
WOOLLEY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HIS PROSPECTS
- Except for a
disappointing sixth-place finish in
Saturday’s Goodwood Stakes, all was well
with Kentucky Derby winner Mine That
Bird Sunday, although future plans were
undecided.
“He looks OK this morning,” trainer Chip
Woolley said. |
|
| |
 Goodwood:
Quality Foes Await Mine That Bird
- Mine That Bird, stunning 50-1
winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum!
Brands (gr. I) this spring, has hooked a highly
contentious field for his first try against
older horses in Oak Tree's $350,000 Goodwood
Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Oct. 10.
The 3-year-old Birdstone gelding is reunited
again with Calvin Borel by trainer Chip Woolley
for the 1 1/8-mile Goodwood, which attracted a
field of 10. The race, the seventh on the
program, is one of four Breeders' Cup Challenge
events on the Oak Tree program and guarantees
the winner a place in the $5 million Breeders'
Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 7 at Santa Anita. Mine
That Bird, who will be the first non-Southern
California-based Derby winner to run at Santa
Anita since Spectacular Bid in 1980, drew the
far outside post. photo: Benoit
|
|
|
 Mine
That Bird now in Albuquerque, NM
Mine That Bird and trainer Chip Woolley are currently in
Albuquerque, NM at the Downs at Albuquerque where the
"BIRD" is scheduled to work a mile and half on Monday.
For you fans in the Albuquerque area the work is
scheduled between the 1st and 2nd race at the Downs at
Albuquerque. First post 3:00 MDT.
Woolley vanned the 'BIRD" to the Downs at Albuquerque on
Friday afternoon following the open house at Double
Eagle Ranch in Roswell.
"The reason we are stopping in Albuquerque is that the
track is open and it's a little closer to California,"
said trainer Chip Woolley. "Right now we are going to
stay put, I like the track surface here and we want to
wait for some of the smoke to clear out around Santa
Anita. As soon as they get the fires under control and
the air clears, we will make our move."
-photo by SureBet
|
|
 MINE
THAT BIRD - Blessed and Honored by fans in Roswell -
Mine That Bird gazed curiously at the priest dressed in
a white and murmuring a prayer in front of him. “I’ve
never blessed a Kentucky Derby winner before,” the
priest said. “They never taught me how to do this in the
seminary.”
After a short invocation and a few quick splashes of
holy water on his mane, Mine That Bird was finally ready
to accept the city of Roswell’s gift to him.
Several thousand people visited Double Eagle Ranch
during the five hour open house in Roswell, NM, to catch
a glimpse of their home-town hero "Mine That Bird". As
part of the celebration City Councilor Art Sandoval
announced to the crowd that May 2 would from now on
officially be known as Mine That Bird Day.
|
Dedication "Mine That Bird" - Ruidoso Downs
Racetrack - Sept. 7, 2009
Sculpture by Don Hershberger
135th Kentucky Derby winner "Mine That Bird"
leads the post-parade
for the 51st running of the All American
Futurity [G1]
at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack
Sept. 7, 2009
|
|
MINE
THAT BIRD DRILLS FIVE FURLONGS AT OAK TREE; DERBY WINNER
PLANS TO RUN IN GR. I GOODWOOD OCT. 10; TRAINER PRAISES
SURFACE, EYES $5 MILLION B.C. CLASSIC