Giacomo

Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, working in company with Bird Empire, drilled five furlongs in :59.60 over a fast track Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs.

With jockey Calvin Borel up, Mine That Bird started off two lengths behind Bird Empire and tracked his workmate for three furlongs. Mine That Bird drew alongside Bird Empire at the quarter pole and quickly surged by and finished a length and a half in front.

Churchill Downs clockers caught Mine That Bird in fractions of :24.20, :35.80, :47.60 and out six furlongs in 1:13.40. It was the fastest of 25 works at the distance and the only drill in less than a minute. Bird Empire was timed in 1:00.20.

It was the fourth recorded work for Mine That Bird since arriving in the barn of trainer D. Wayne Lukas on May 20. Mine That Bird worked three furlongs in :35.20 under Dominic Terry on May 26, half-mile in :48 on June 2 under Borel and five furlongs in 1:02 last Tuesday.

“He did what he was supposed to do and went by the other horse easily,” said Borel, who rode Mine That Bird to his Kentucky Derby victory. “It was a nice work.”

Lukas liked what he saw in Mine That Bird’s first work in company since joining his barn.

“I couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” Lukas said. “It was picture perfect and Calvin is such a good judge of pace. I wanted to let him stride out today and he leaped on that horse at the quarter pole.”

Mine That Bird worked immediately after the morning renovation break at 8:30 with temperatures already pushing 80 in humid conditions.

“All the horses coming off the track this morning were sweating, but not him,” Lukas said. “He didn’t take a deep breath and he doesn’t sweat after going a mile and five-eighths, a mile and three-quarters in the morning.”

After nearly four weeks in the Lukas barn after returning to the track from the Double Eagle Ranch in Roswell, N.M., Mine That Bird earned a top grade from Lukas.

"I'’d give him an ‘A.’ I couldn’t be happier with him,” Lukas said. “He has done what I like him to do.”

 Lukas’ initial objective for Mine That Bird is the Whitney Handicap (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 7. Should Mine That Bird get a return race prior to that at Churchill Downs before the meet ends July 4, he would become the first Kentucky Derby winner to race beneath the Twin Spires since 2005 winner Giacomo finished fourth in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

WORK TAB – Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, third in the Kentucky Derby last month, worked a half-mile in :48.60, fifth fastest of 26 at the distance, in preparation for Saturday’s $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup (GII) at 1 3/16 miles at Colonial Downs.

Kentucky Derby (Grade I) winner Mine That Bird, a gallant runner-up to the brilliant filly Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness (GI), is off of the road and back in his stall at Barn 42 at Churchill Downs following a road trip from Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s son of Birdstone will return to the track on Tuesday to begin his preparation for a run in the Belmont Stakes (GI), the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown that will be run on June 6 at New York’s Belmont Park.

    Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. rolled his truck and the trailer that carried the Derby winner to halt in front of the barn at 6:30 p.m. (EDT).  The gelded son of Birdstone stepped off the van following the nine and a half hour and into the barn, where he took a few rounds to stretch his legs.  Mine That Bird then relaxed by grazing in the lush grass behind the barn.  

    “The trip was great it, it went smooth as silk,” said Woolley.  “He looks good.  He come off the trailer pretty relaxed and looks all right, so we’re pretty happy with where he’s at right now.”

    The journey from Baltimore was less eventful that Mine That Bird’s journey through the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.  The Derby winner ran into some traffic problems and had to swing wide for the run down the stretch with a furious rally under jockey Mike Smith that erased all but one length form his early deficit to the victorious Kentucky Oaks (GI)-winning filly Rachel Alexandra.

    “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to that filly,” Woolley said.  “She run huge and deserves all the respect.  She run a great race and we just come up a little short.”

    Mine That Bird won’t get much time to relax on his return to the track where he notched his 6 ¾-length victory at odds of 50-1 in the May 2 Kentucky Derby.  Woolley said Mine That Bird would head back to the track on Tuesday to resume his training for the Belmont.  
 
    “We’ll just maybe jog him a couple of rounds backwards tomorrow and then go back and gallop the next day,” Woolley said.  “We don’t know when we’ll work him.  We’ll let him decide that.  He’s run two hard races and we’ll let him freshen up a little bit.  When he starts to showing he’s a little too fresh, he’ll stretch his legs.  But we’ll make that decision later.”

    As he returned to Churchill Downs, Woolley and co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach found themselves in the unusual position of again looking for a jockey to ride Mine That Bird in the Belmont.  Calvin Borel gave up the mount after the Derby to ride Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness.  Mike Smith was aboard for the Derby winner’s big effort in the Preakness, but he is committed to ride Madeo for trainer John Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss in the Charlie Whittingham Stakes (GI) at Hollywood Park on Belmont Stakes Day.

    Smith rode Giacamo to victory in the 2005 Kentucky Derby for the Mosses and Shirreffs, and is the regular rider for their unbeaten champion mare Zenyatta.  So Smith will honor an earlier commitment to ride Madeo in the Whittingham.

    “I don’t know,” said Woolley.  “It’s kinda funny.  You’d think if you get a horse this good, you’d keep one, but apparently not.  So we’ll deal with that here in a couple of days and we’ll see what happens.”

    Woolley said he’s heard from the agents of several riders who are interested in the mount on the Derby winner in the 1 ½-mile third jewel of the Triple Crown.  He has not made up his mind, but indicated that he won’t wait to see whether Rachel Alexandra goes on to the Belmont.  If the filly stays in trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn, it would free Calvin Borel to ride the horse he piloted to the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history.

    “We’re going to make a decision pretty quickly, so we’ll see what happens,” said Woolley.  “Patience is probably the number one concern.  Is somebody patient and will they wait and see how things develop.  We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

    While Mine That Bird will be in familiar surroundings at Churchill Downs as he prepares for the Belmont Stakes, Woolley said his Derby winner could have a different ride when he makes the trip to Belmont Park.  Woolley said Mine That Bird would probably fly to Belmont in the days before the race rather than travel in his trailer because of concerns about traffic on the trip to the Elmont, N.Y. track.  

    The runner-up finish in the Preakness improved Mine That Bird’s career record to 5-2-0 in 10 races and lifted his earnings to $2,011,581.