Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird arrived at Santa Anita Park from New Mexico on Friday and jogged one mile on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface in preparation for the Goodwood Stakes (G1) on October 10 at the Oak Tree meeting.
The race would be Mine That Bird’s first start on a synthetic surface since his unplaced finish in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last October at Santa Anita. He won four straight races on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Woodbine to start his career en route to winning the 2008 Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion two-year-old male.
“He came up a little empty here in the Juvenile, but I’m kind of sure he’ll handle it okay,” trainer Chip Woolley said. “He kind of seems to carry his racetrack with him wherever he goes. We haven’t run into one he didn’t like yet.”
Woolley said Mine That Bird will breeze either Monday or Tuesday of next week. The colt’s goal is the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on November 7.