NEWS
Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra work on Monday
Posted: Monday, July 13, 2009 12:38 PM
MINE THAT BIRD WORKED AT CHURCHILL DOWNS ON MONDAY
Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
by Jeff Lowe
Classic winners Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra both breezed five furlongs on Monday morning.
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands winner Mine That Bird was timed in 1:02 at Churchill Downs as he gears up for the West Virginia Derby (G2) on August 1.
“The horse is doing super—he really worked good this morning,” trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. said. “He started off real soft—I imagine that first eighth of a mile must have been in 13-and-change—but he really picked it up down the lane and was really firing off the ground down the lane. He’s coming into it real good. We’re really kind of excited and ready to pick up and head across there and run.”
Woolley said Mine That Bird would work again on Monday at Churchill Downs, which is scheduled to be his final move there before the West Virginia Derby. The race will be his first since he finished third to Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 6 at Belmont Park.
“We’ll breeze him one soft one over the racetrack over there [at Mountaineer] and run,” Woolley said. “After that, we’ll head straight to Saratoga [Race Course for the Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on August 29].”
Rachel Alexandra, winner of the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1), posted a bullet time of 1:01.38 on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course. It was the fastest of 21 moves at the distance.
“She’s tremendous; she’s a beautiful animal; she’s doing great,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “She was unbelievably light on her feet today and she felt great about doing it. It was about as easy as she could do it. It was exactly what I was hoping to see.”
Owners Jess Jackson and Harold T. McCormick have not announced a race target for Rachel Alexandra, who has had two workouts at Saratoga since her overwhelming victory by 19 1/4 lengths in the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) on June 27 at Belmont Park (video).
Sunday’s $1-million Delaware Handicap (G2) is one option for the Medaglia d’Oro filly. She would face older rivals for the first time as the highweight at 123 pounds.
The Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 25 at Belmont also is a possibility for Rachel Alexandra. Perhaps the most intriguing scenario would be another start against males, including Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Summer Bird, in the $1-million Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) on August 2 at Monmouth Park.
“It’s a timing thing more than anything,” Asmussen said. “Her being a three-year-old filly that has success outside of her division just gives [us] that many more options. I think the only thing that we can state is the obvious—that’s her and she looks good.”
Big Drama, a confirmed Haskell contender, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Monday at Monmouth.
Jeff Lowe is a THOROUGHBRED TIMES staff writer
