NEWS
On to Travers for Mine That Bird
Posted: Sunday, August 02, 2009 8:56 PM
by Phil Janack
A third-place finish in Saturday's $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G2) will not keep Mine That Bird from making his next scheduled start.
Trainer Bennie "Chip" Woolley Jr. said Sunday morning that he will ship the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner to Saratoga Race Course on Monday to begin preparations for the $1-million Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on August 29.
"He looked good this morning," Woolley said by phone from Mountaineer Race Track. "We're pretty happy with the way he looks. He looks good going toward the Travers."
In his first start following the Triple Crown series, Mine That Bird finished 1 1/2 lengths behind favored runner-up Big Drama, who opened a 10-length lead after a half-mile and was caught at the wire by 23-to-1 longshot Soul Warrior, who won by a neck (video).
Woolley felt a premature move by Racing Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith compromised late-running Mine That Bird, but he appreciated Smith's candor in admitting his mistake.
"I wasn't happy with the race we had," Woolley said. "We made an early middle move in the race that probably cost us winning, and we're going to have to eliminate that for our horse to have a chance. We've got to make a move at the right time.
"Mike [Smith] was very good after the race. He admitted that he moved way too soon and he felt like he could correct that, and so that's kind of where we're going to go from there."
Smith, a three-time Saratoga riding champion in the 1990's, will retain the mount for the Travers, a race he won in ‘94 with Holy Bull and ‘98 with Coronado's Quest.
"It was just total rider error," Smith said. "I thought I had to give myself a chance going down the backside when I saw how far in front the other horse was. I knew I wasn't going to get a spectacular win, but I thought I could pull it off."
Trainer Steve Asmussen, who captured the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga minutes after Soul Warrior posted the upset the West Virginia Derby, was thrilled with his horse's effort.
"He earned the victory," he said. "Watching the race, he was kind of pinned down in there. Mine That Bird ran up to him as early as the half-mile pole and he just kept trying. What a very good effort for that horse."
Phil Janack is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
