NEWS
Mine That Bird preps for Whitney
Posted: Thursday, July 29, 2010 4:22 PM
by Phil Janack
Mine That Bird put in his final major workout for the $750,000 Whitney Handicap (G1) on Thursday morning, a stout six-furlong breeze on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course.
Under jockey Calvin Borel, the four-year-old Birdstone gelding, winless since his upset in the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), was the only horse to work at the distance on the training track, covering the distance in 1:12.40 handily.
“I was real pleased with it,” Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “It was maybe the best one he’s had. We were hoping that they’d be progressively better. I think we’ve got a good bottom on him now. You can’t go into these kinds of races without a whole lot of fitness. It’s just too tough.”
It was the third work at Saratoga for Mine That Bird, who went five furlongs in 1:05.35 on July 14 and one mile in 1:40.14 on July 21.
“There’s no soft spots, so we need to be pretty tight,” Lukas said. “And he may need a race, too; but, having said that, I don’t want to go over there short, so we put some serious works in him.
“He’s done well. He’s put on a lot of weight and muscle, and Calvin remarked about how much he’s changed. He’s really changed. He’s doing very well.”
Ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in November, Mine That Bird was transferred from trainer Chip Woolley to Lukas this spring and made his 2010 debut running on July 4 by finishing eighth in the Firecracker Handicap (G2) on the Churchill Downs turf course after a dirt allowance race failed to fill.
“That was a bad experiment,” Lukas said. “The turf course was in tough shape, and he didn’t care for it at all, so he didn’t get anything out of that one. That’s consequently why we came back with these stout works. We’re going to try to at least give him the foundation to run a good race.”
Also eyeing the 1 1/8-mile Whitney on August 7 are multiple Grade 1 winner Quality Road, unbeaten in three starts this year, Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) winner Blame, and Suburban Handicap (G2) winner Haynesfield.
Phil Janack is a Saratoga-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Cindi, Glendale, AZ on July 31, 2010 at 01:41 PM
As a Mine That Bird fan, I hope for a good showing and big improvement over his last few races - not looking for a win, though (think Quality Road wins this). I want him in the top 3 or 4 with a solid effort, expecting more isn't realistic for me.
Mimi - love Quality Road, too, he is a good looking horse. :)
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Posted by: Robert, Louisville, KY on July 30, 2010 at 12:46 PM
This should be a good betting race. Mine That Bird is training lights out. Quality Road is his usual self. Blame is also training like a rocket. If one of the top 2 or 3 don't win it, you might see a large winning payoff.
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Posted by: Mimi, San Antonio, TX on July 29, 2010 at 10:43 PM
I think Quality Road's gonna win this. He's awesome and has a lot of speed, and is a lovely looking horse too.
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