By David Grening
Daily Racing Form
ELMONT, N.Y. -- New York Racing Association officials are hoping to have at least a "wet-fast" main track over which to run the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Though the forecast for Saturday calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70s, the spate of wet weather that has hovered over Belmont Park for the last two days has created extremely sloppy conditions. Friday's 10 races - including the five races scheduled for the turf -- were all run over a sloppy main track.
The damp weather was expected to end by midnight, but as much as two inches of rain could have fallen by then. Training has already been canceled for the main track on Saturday, giving the maintenance crew additional time to work on the surface. First post for Saturday's 13-race card is 11:35 a.m. Post time for the Belmont is 6:27 p.m.
"I would say we should have it wet-fast by then, I want to be a little conservative," Glen Kozak, NYRA's director of racing surfaces said when asked what condition the track would be in for the Belmont. "It depends how long the system stays hanging over the top of us. It was originally supposed to be only until 6 o'clock, but they've backed that up four to six hours already."
According to Kozak, almost an inch of rain fell in the area on Thursday and as of 4 p.m. Friday an additional half-inch of rain fell. Another quarter of an inch to a half-inch of rain was possible before it ended.
Turf racing was canceled Thursday and Friday and track officials already announced that the final two races run after the Belmont Stakes on Saturday would be transferred from the turf to the dirt. There are four other races -- including the Manhattan and Just a Game -- scheduled to be run on the grass.
Wet or dry, Chip Woolley, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner and Belmont favorite Mine That Bird, remains confident in his gelding's chances to win the last leg of the Triple Crown.
"He seems to really get over the racetrack good, so that gave me a lot of confidence," Woolley said Friday morning. "We're ready, it's just a matter if we're ready enough."
rachel
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
'Bird' goes from longshot to favorite in 5 weeks
Kentucky Derby winner is 2-1 morning-line favorite to win Belmont Stakes
NEW YORK - In the days leading to the Kentucky Derby, just about everybody ignored the little gelding tucked away in his stall at Churchill Downs.
Mine That Bird, a latecomer to the Derby field, had recently arrived in Louisville after a 19-hour trailer ride from New Mexico, his trainer Chip Woolley doing the driving despite a broken right leg fused with a metal plate and 12 screws.
This was not big news, though, not with top 3-year-olds such as I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile, Friesan Fire and Dunkirk receiving all the attention.
A lot has changed in five weeks: Mine That Bird won the Derby by an astonishing 6¾ lengths at 50-1 odds, came up a length short of the filly Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness and now is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
From long shot to people’s choice, Mine That Bird has become one of racing’s most popular racehorses, topped only by the sensational filly who won’t be running the final leg of the Triple Crown.
When Woolley led Mine That Bird off a van and toward his barn at Belmont Park the other day, there were about 50 media members there to record every step.
“This is a lot different than when we arrived at Churchill Downs,” Woolley said. “Nobody even came to see me for the first week.”
Two days before Mine That Bird tries to win the 1½-mile Belmont and make Calvin Borel the first jockey to win the Triple Crown on different horses, Woolley was asked if he ever thought he’d be in the national spotlight after a 25 years of training horses.
“It absolutely never crossed my mind,” he said Thursday. “It was a major surprise.”
Starting with the Derby.
Mine That Bird came into the race 0-for-2 at Sunland Park in New Mexico after earning the 2-year-old championship in Canada, then finishing 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
A son of 2004 Belmont winner Birdstone, Mine That Bird was dismissed as the 17th choice in the 19-horse Derby field. Even Tom Durkin, who called the race on national television, was late in spotting him along the rail.
“The only person more surprised than me winning the Derby seemed to be you,” Woolley told Durkin at Wednesday’s post-position draw. Durkin took the ribbing in stride, replying “There are many times I wish I’d seen that race.”
Racing fans were still not convinced after the Derby. And when Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Kentucky Oaks by 20¼ lengths the day before the Derby, was purchased by Jess Jackson and entered in the Preakness, the filly and Borel took the star turns. The filly won the Preakness by a diminishing length over 6-1 third choice Mine That Bird, but the gelding proved his Derby win was no fluke.
A field of 10 is set for the Belmont, with Flying Private the only other horse to compete in the Derby and Preakness. The other Derby runners in the field are Chocolate Candy, Summer Bird, Dunkirk and Mr. Hot Stuff. The other Preakness runner is Luv Gov.
Charitable Man, the 3-1 second choice, and a pair of long shots trained by Nick Zito — Brave Victory and Miner’s Escape — fill out the field.
Mike Watchmaker, the national handicapper for Daily Racing Form, had a simple explanation why Mine That Bird has become so popular.
“He won the Derby, ran huge in the Preakness and the Preakness winner is not here,” he said.
Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Charitable Man, was initially a skeptic just like everybody else.
“He happened to be in the same barn I was in at Churchill,” McLaughlin said. “And to be honest, with Charitable Man and Mine That Bird, you’re looking at a magnificent animal as opposed to a small gelding that cost $9,500 as a yearling. But he’s a runner and he’s a gutsy little horse who tries hard and might have won the Preakness with a little cleaner trip.”
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK - In the days leading to the Kentucky Derby, just about everybody ignored the little gelding tucked away in his stall at Churchill Downs.
Mine That Bird, a latecomer to the Derby field, had recently arrived in Louisville after a 19-hour trailer ride from New Mexico, his trainer Chip Woolley doing the driving despite a broken right leg fused with a metal plate and 12 screws.
This was not big news, though, not with top 3-year-olds such as I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile, Friesan Fire and Dunkirk receiving all the attention.
A lot has changed in five weeks: Mine That Bird won the Derby by an astonishing 6¾ lengths at 50-1 odds, came up a length short of the filly Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness and now is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
From long shot to people’s choice, Mine That Bird has become one of racing’s most popular racehorses, topped only by the sensational filly who won’t be running the final leg of the Triple Crown.
When Woolley led Mine That Bird off a van and toward his barn at Belmont Park the other day, there were about 50 media members there to record every step.
“This is a lot different than when we arrived at Churchill Downs,” Woolley said. “Nobody even came to see me for the first week.”
Two days before Mine That Bird tries to win the 1½-mile Belmont and make Calvin Borel the first jockey to win the Triple Crown on different horses, Woolley was asked if he ever thought he’d be in the national spotlight after a 25 years of training horses.
“It absolutely never crossed my mind,” he said Thursday. “It was a major surprise.”
Starting with the Derby.
Mine That Bird came into the race 0-for-2 at Sunland Park in New Mexico after earning the 2-year-old championship in Canada, then finishing 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
A son of 2004 Belmont winner Birdstone, Mine That Bird was dismissed as the 17th choice in the 19-horse Derby field. Even Tom Durkin, who called the race on national television, was late in spotting him along the rail.
“The only person more surprised than me winning the Derby seemed to be you,” Woolley told Durkin at Wednesday’s post-position draw. Durkin took the ribbing in stride, replying “There are many times I wish I’d seen that race.”
Racing fans were still not convinced after the Derby. And when Rachel Alexandra, winner of the Kentucky Oaks by 20¼ lengths the day before the Derby, was purchased by Jess Jackson and entered in the Preakness, the filly and Borel took the star turns. The filly won the Preakness by a diminishing length over 6-1 third choice Mine That Bird, but the gelding proved his Derby win was no fluke.
A field of 10 is set for the Belmont, with Flying Private the only other horse to compete in the Derby and Preakness. The other Derby runners in the field are Chocolate Candy, Summer Bird, Dunkirk and Mr. Hot Stuff. The other Preakness runner is Luv Gov.
Charitable Man, the 3-1 second choice, and a pair of long shots trained by Nick Zito — Brave Victory and Miner’s Escape — fill out the field.
Mike Watchmaker, the national handicapper for Daily Racing Form, had a simple explanation why Mine That Bird has become so popular.
“He won the Derby, ran huge in the Preakness and the Preakness winner is not here,” he said.
Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Charitable Man, was initially a skeptic just like everybody else.
“He happened to be in the same barn I was in at Churchill,” McLaughlin said. “And to be honest, with Charitable Man and Mine That Bird, you’re looking at a magnificent animal as opposed to a small gelding that cost $9,500 as a yearling. But he’s a runner and he’s a gutsy little horse who tries hard and might have won the Preakness with a little cleaner trip.”
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Derby winner the favorite for Belmont
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Mine That Bird is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, when Calvin Borel will attempt to become the first jockey to win all three Triple Crown races with different horses.
Borel rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness Stakes aboard the filly Rachel Alexandra and is back on Mine That Bird for the 1½-mile Belmont.
A field of 10 3-year-olds was entered Wednesday, with Mine That Bird drawing the No. 7 post position. Charitable Man, who missed the Derby and the Preakness, was the second choice at 3-1. He drew the No. 6 post.
Also entered, from the rail out, are Chocolate Candy (10-1), Dunkirk (4-1), Mr. Hot Stuff (15-1), Summer Bird (12-1), Luv Gov (20-1), Flying Private (12-1), Miner's Escape (15-1) and Brave Victory (15-1).
Borel guided Mine That Bird to a breathtaking last-to-first run along the rail to win the Derby by 6¾ lengths on May 2, and the gelding finished a diminishing length behind Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness two weeks later under Mike Smith with another come-from-behind run.
In the Belmont, the longest and most grueling of the Triple Crown races, Mine That Bird may be closer to the leaders because the early pace is not as fast as in shorter races.
"That's what we're hoping for," Mine That Bird's trainer Chip Woolley said at the post position draw at Belmont Park. "With his running style, we're going to have to let him run his race. When you start slowing the fractions down, if you let him run his same race, he's going to move way on up.
"If we can just be within 10 or 12 lengths of them, I feel comfortable he'll have enough to come kicking in," he said.
Charitable Man, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont on May 9, is expected to set the early pace, and that's just fine with trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The son of 1999 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid will be ridden by Alan Garcia, winner of last year's Belmont aboard 38-1 long shot Da' Tara.
"I wouldn't trade horses with anybody else," said McLaughlin, who won the 2006 Belmont with Jazil. "Our horse couldn't be doing any better and we're very excited about the race."
Dunkirk is the 4-1 third choice and drew the No. 2 post. He'll be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.
The gray colt trained by Todd Pletcher will try to rebound from an 11th-place finish in the Derby. Pletcher said Dunkirk stumbled at the start, took four or five strides to right himself and never got into the race.
Trainer Nick Zito, a two-time Belmont winner with Birdstone in 2004 and Da' Tara last year, has two chances to win a third with Brave Victory and Miner's Escape.
Rachel Alexandra was considered for the Belmont, but co-owner Jess Jackson decided last Friday to pass on the race to give his exceptional filly a break after the Preakness -- her sixth straight victory. Borel would have ridden the filly in the Belmont, and Woolley would have had to find a new rider.
"I'm glad she's not running," Borel said.
$1 million Belmont Stakes
Post Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Chocolate Candy G. Gomez J. Hollendorfer 10-1
2 Dunkirk J. Velazquez T. Pletcher 4-1
3 Mr. Hot Stuff E. Prado E. Harty 15-1
4 Summer Bird K. Desormeaux T. Ice 12-1
5 Luv Gov M. Mena D. W. Lukas 20-1
6 Charitable Man A. Garcia K. McLaughlin 3-1
7 Mine That Bird C. Borel C. Woolley 2-1
8 Flying Private J. Leparoux D. W. Lukas 12-1
9 Miner's Escape J. Lezcano N. Zito 15-1
10 Brave Victory R. Maragh N. Zito 15-1
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Mine That Bird is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, when Calvin Borel will attempt to become the first jockey to win all three Triple Crown races with different horses.
Borel rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness Stakes aboard the filly Rachel Alexandra and is back on Mine That Bird for the 1½-mile Belmont.
A field of 10 3-year-olds was entered Wednesday, with Mine That Bird drawing the No. 7 post position. Charitable Man, who missed the Derby and the Preakness, was the second choice at 3-1. He drew the No. 6 post.
Also entered, from the rail out, are Chocolate Candy (10-1), Dunkirk (4-1), Mr. Hot Stuff (15-1), Summer Bird (12-1), Luv Gov (20-1), Flying Private (12-1), Miner's Escape (15-1) and Brave Victory (15-1).
Borel guided Mine That Bird to a breathtaking last-to-first run along the rail to win the Derby by 6¾ lengths on May 2, and the gelding finished a diminishing length behind Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness two weeks later under Mike Smith with another come-from-behind run.
In the Belmont, the longest and most grueling of the Triple Crown races, Mine That Bird may be closer to the leaders because the early pace is not as fast as in shorter races.
"That's what we're hoping for," Mine That Bird's trainer Chip Woolley said at the post position draw at Belmont Park. "With his running style, we're going to have to let him run his race. When you start slowing the fractions down, if you let him run his same race, he's going to move way on up.
"If we can just be within 10 or 12 lengths of them, I feel comfortable he'll have enough to come kicking in," he said.
Charitable Man, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont on May 9, is expected to set the early pace, and that's just fine with trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The son of 1999 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid will be ridden by Alan Garcia, winner of last year's Belmont aboard 38-1 long shot Da' Tara.
"I wouldn't trade horses with anybody else," said McLaughlin, who won the 2006 Belmont with Jazil. "Our horse couldn't be doing any better and we're very excited about the race."
Dunkirk is the 4-1 third choice and drew the No. 2 post. He'll be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.
The gray colt trained by Todd Pletcher will try to rebound from an 11th-place finish in the Derby. Pletcher said Dunkirk stumbled at the start, took four or five strides to right himself and never got into the race.
Trainer Nick Zito, a two-time Belmont winner with Birdstone in 2004 and Da' Tara last year, has two chances to win a third with Brave Victory and Miner's Escape.
Rachel Alexandra was considered for the Belmont, but co-owner Jess Jackson decided last Friday to pass on the race to give his exceptional filly a break after the Preakness -- her sixth straight victory. Borel would have ridden the filly in the Belmont, and Woolley would have had to find a new rider.
"I'm glad she's not running," Borel said.
$1 million Belmont Stakes
Post Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Chocolate Candy G. Gomez J. Hollendorfer 10-1
2 Dunkirk J. Velazquez T. Pletcher 4-1
3 Mr. Hot Stuff E. Prado E. Harty 15-1
4 Summer Bird K. Desormeaux T. Ice 12-1
5 Luv Gov M. Mena D. W. Lukas 20-1
6 Charitable Man A. Garcia K. McLaughlin 3-1
7 Mine That Bird C. Borel C. Woolley 2-1
8 Flying Private J. Leparoux D. W. Lukas 12-1
9 Miner's Escape J. Lezcano N. Zito 15-1
10 Brave Victory R. Maragh N. Zito 15-1
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Haskin's Belmont Report: The D. Wayne Reign
By Steve Haskin
Remember when D. Wayne Lukas won an amazing six Triple Crown races in a row and seven of eight from 1994 to 1996? Remember when Lukas sent out one of the most improbable Belmont Stakes winners ever in Commendable? Well, before you dismiss Lukas’ pair of longshots this year, remember who you’re dealing with.
Lukas’s two horses, Flying Private and Luv Gov, have a combined lifetime record of two wins in 23 starts, and both obviously are eligible for a nonwinners of one allowance race. So, why does Lukas, always the eternal optimist, have that same Cheshire cat grin this year he did when he brought Commendable here?
First off, because he’s Wayne Lukas and he loves being in this kind of situation. Second, he is, and always has been, a winner. In his heyday, he made winning Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown races seem mundane. Now, in his 70s, Lukas has enjoyed cutting back his stable after losing most of his major owners and seemingly has learned to appreciate some of the smaller gifts racing has to offer. He was happy to have finished second in the Kentucky Oaks, beaten 20 1/4 lengths by Rachel Alexandra. He was thrilled with Flying Private’s fourth-place finish in the Preakness at odds of 25-1.
The new Wayne Lukas now enjoys people more and being a good will ambassador for racing. At Oaklawn Park, every time he’d win a race and headed to the winner’s circle, he would choose a child, usually around 6 years olds, and take him or her into the winner’s circle to be part of the celebration. He would assure the parents he would take good care of their child. He then would arrange for the track photographer to make up eight prints of the winner’s circle photo for the parents to pick up later in the afternoon. After a while, families would be lined up near the winner’s circle after a Lukas victory, hoping he would choose their child.
So, here is Lukas back at Belmont, the scene of four Belmont Stakes victories – with Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch, Editor’s Note, and Commendable. This time, he is looking to score another Commendable-like upset, and judging from the way Flying Private and Luv Gov look, you might not want to dismiss both of them too quickly or throw them out of the trifectas and superfectas. They have too much history behind them, hidden under that white cowboy hat.
If you don’t think Lukas is capable of winning or at least having a say in the Belmont with a horse who is 1-for-12 and a horse who is 1-for-11 and together have finished out of the money 13 times, don’t forget that Commendable was 1-for-7, finishing out of the money six times in a row, and coming off a 17th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, beaten 26 lengths. Up to that point, no horse had ever run in the Kentucky Derby and then won the Belmont in his next start. Now it’s done all the time. Another Lukas breakthrough.
Flying Private has been the proverbial hard-luck horse who rarely has seen a clean trip in his career. Even in his fifth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, he displaced, and was only beaten six lengths.
In the Preakness, he was moving stride for stride with Mine That Bird. Both horses went for the same hole that wasn’t really there in the first place. Mine That Bird was able to get through when Pioneerof the Nile drifted out, but Alan Garcia on Flying Private had to alter course to inside after steadying. With a big, long-striding horse like Flying Private, the last thing you want is to have to stop riding the horse and then re-start the engine. It took a while for Flying Private to get back in gear and he closed steadily to finish fourth, beaten only four lengths.
As for Luv Gov, His maiden victory on Derby Day was spectacular following three seconds, including one to Summer Bird. Throw out his 2-year-old form, as he was suffering from an irregular heartbeat that has now been cleared up. Although he finished eighth in the Preakness after running 11th the whole race, he didn’t run that badly, coming off a maiden race. He had to alter course several times in the stretch, being forced wider each time. He has to make up 7 3/4 lengths on Mine That Bird, and although he might not be ready to do that, there is no reason to think he won’t show big improvement with a clean trip and having the experience of the Preakness behind him.
As mentioned, both horses have looked great in the mornings, and Luv Gov was full of himself Tuesday, trying to rear a couple of times before being allowed to break off into his gallop.
So, with apologies to those not familiar with the Spanish American War, when it comes time to look for some big-price horses to throw in your exotics, “Remember the Wayne!”
Sounds from the Belmont media luncheon at MSG:
Calvin Borel on his guarantee that Mine That Bird will win the Belmont: “We will win. I’m gonna win it for Chip. I owe him that. I see another (Kentucky) Derby race with the same style he won that race.”
Borel,when asked if the distance had been a mile and a half, would Mine That Bird have caught Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness? “I have no comment.”
Kiaran McLaughlin on why he’s so confident in Charitable Man’s chances: “I’ve been coming across as cocky, but I’m not cocky at all. I’m just saying he’s been doing great, he’s two-for-two over the track, and he’s three-for-three on dirt. Do I need to keep going?”
Dunkirk’s rider John Velazquez’ opening words: “I want to start by saying to the other riders, ‘Stay on the rail.’”
The wild adventures of Chip Woolley continue: Before he left for New York, his now famous pickup truck was broken into outside his Louisville hotel. Stolen was the GPS system that got him to Grand Prairie, Louisville and Baltimore, and are you ready for this? Mine That Bird’s Jockey Club papers. That might wind up being worth more than the GPS.
Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.
Remember when D. Wayne Lukas won an amazing six Triple Crown races in a row and seven of eight from 1994 to 1996? Remember when Lukas sent out one of the most improbable Belmont Stakes winners ever in Commendable? Well, before you dismiss Lukas’ pair of longshots this year, remember who you’re dealing with.
Lukas’s two horses, Flying Private and Luv Gov, have a combined lifetime record of two wins in 23 starts, and both obviously are eligible for a nonwinners of one allowance race. So, why does Lukas, always the eternal optimist, have that same Cheshire cat grin this year he did when he brought Commendable here?
First off, because he’s Wayne Lukas and he loves being in this kind of situation. Second, he is, and always has been, a winner. In his heyday, he made winning Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown races seem mundane. Now, in his 70s, Lukas has enjoyed cutting back his stable after losing most of his major owners and seemingly has learned to appreciate some of the smaller gifts racing has to offer. He was happy to have finished second in the Kentucky Oaks, beaten 20 1/4 lengths by Rachel Alexandra. He was thrilled with Flying Private’s fourth-place finish in the Preakness at odds of 25-1.
The new Wayne Lukas now enjoys people more and being a good will ambassador for racing. At Oaklawn Park, every time he’d win a race and headed to the winner’s circle, he would choose a child, usually around 6 years olds, and take him or her into the winner’s circle to be part of the celebration. He would assure the parents he would take good care of their child. He then would arrange for the track photographer to make up eight prints of the winner’s circle photo for the parents to pick up later in the afternoon. After a while, families would be lined up near the winner’s circle after a Lukas victory, hoping he would choose their child.
So, here is Lukas back at Belmont, the scene of four Belmont Stakes victories – with Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch, Editor’s Note, and Commendable. This time, he is looking to score another Commendable-like upset, and judging from the way Flying Private and Luv Gov look, you might not want to dismiss both of them too quickly or throw them out of the trifectas and superfectas. They have too much history behind them, hidden under that white cowboy hat.
If you don’t think Lukas is capable of winning or at least having a say in the Belmont with a horse who is 1-for-12 and a horse who is 1-for-11 and together have finished out of the money 13 times, don’t forget that Commendable was 1-for-7, finishing out of the money six times in a row, and coming off a 17th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, beaten 26 lengths. Up to that point, no horse had ever run in the Kentucky Derby and then won the Belmont in his next start. Now it’s done all the time. Another Lukas breakthrough.
Flying Private has been the proverbial hard-luck horse who rarely has seen a clean trip in his career. Even in his fifth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, he displaced, and was only beaten six lengths.
In the Preakness, he was moving stride for stride with Mine That Bird. Both horses went for the same hole that wasn’t really there in the first place. Mine That Bird was able to get through when Pioneerof the Nile drifted out, but Alan Garcia on Flying Private had to alter course to inside after steadying. With a big, long-striding horse like Flying Private, the last thing you want is to have to stop riding the horse and then re-start the engine. It took a while for Flying Private to get back in gear and he closed steadily to finish fourth, beaten only four lengths.
As for Luv Gov, His maiden victory on Derby Day was spectacular following three seconds, including one to Summer Bird. Throw out his 2-year-old form, as he was suffering from an irregular heartbeat that has now been cleared up. Although he finished eighth in the Preakness after running 11th the whole race, he didn’t run that badly, coming off a maiden race. He had to alter course several times in the stretch, being forced wider each time. He has to make up 7 3/4 lengths on Mine That Bird, and although he might not be ready to do that, there is no reason to think he won’t show big improvement with a clean trip and having the experience of the Preakness behind him.
As mentioned, both horses have looked great in the mornings, and Luv Gov was full of himself Tuesday, trying to rear a couple of times before being allowed to break off into his gallop.
So, with apologies to those not familiar with the Spanish American War, when it comes time to look for some big-price horses to throw in your exotics, “Remember the Wayne!”
Sounds from the Belmont media luncheon at MSG:
Calvin Borel on his guarantee that Mine That Bird will win the Belmont: “We will win. I’m gonna win it for Chip. I owe him that. I see another (Kentucky) Derby race with the same style he won that race.”
Borel,when asked if the distance had been a mile and a half, would Mine That Bird have caught Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness? “I have no comment.”
Kiaran McLaughlin on why he’s so confident in Charitable Man’s chances: “I’ve been coming across as cocky, but I’m not cocky at all. I’m just saying he’s been doing great, he’s two-for-two over the track, and he’s three-for-three on dirt. Do I need to keep going?”
Dunkirk’s rider John Velazquez’ opening words: “I want to start by saying to the other riders, ‘Stay on the rail.’”
The wild adventures of Chip Woolley continue: Before he left for New York, his now famous pickup truck was broken into outside his Louisville hotel. Stolen was the GPS system that got him to Grand Prairie, Louisville and Baltimore, and are you ready for this? Mine That Bird’s Jockey Club papers. That might wind up being worth more than the GPS.
Copyright © 2009 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird Puts In Final Work For The Belmont Stakes 2009
Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine’s Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird put in his final major prep for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes 2009 by working a half-mile in :50 under jockey Calvin Borel on Monday at Churchill Downs.
Jockey Calvin Borel backtracked Mine That Bird to the frontside and then loped around to the backstretch for the work that clockers caught in splits of :13.80, :26.60, :38.40, the half in :50 with a five-eighths gallop out time of 1:02.20 and six furlongs in 1:15.
The time for the half-mile was the 32nd fastest of 57 at the distance.
“He picked it up good the last quarter,” said race horse trainer Chip Woolley, who before the work said he was looking for something in the 49 to 49.20 range. “The main thing was the last quarter in 23 and 2. The important part was finishing strong and galloping out without weakening.”
After the work, jockey Calvin Borel was ecstatic about the work and Mine That Bird’s chances in the Belmont Stakes.
“We’re gonna win, no questions asked,” jockey Calvin Borel said. “He worked in :50 and out in 1:02, just like before the Derby. He is doing everything the same. After those two hard races (the Derby and Preakness), I think the colt is very happy.”
Race horse trainer Chip Woolley continued to the perfect fit that has become horse and rider.
“You watch when he comes out on the track with (exercise rider) Charlie (Figueroa) or anybody else and he has his head up and is looking around,” Chip Woolley said. “With Calvin, he just drops his neck and knows it is time to go to work. He knows the difference, maybe it’s because Calvin is lighter.”
Woolley is going to look in on Mine That Bird early Tuesday morning before catching a 7:15 flight to New York with Mine That Bird flying the following day.
“I think we are in good shape going into the Belmont,” Woolley said. “The horse is doing good and probably training better than he did going into the Derby.”
“It is going to be a tough race and, how many do I fear? How many are in there? Wayne’s horse (Flying Private for trainer D. Wayne Lukas) is on the improve and Kiaran’s horse (Charitable Man for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin) is a sheer monster and he likes that racetrack.”
Woolley said that Mine That Bird would return to the track early Wednesday morning to backtrack to the paddock runway and go around the track 1 1/2 times. Mine That Bird would go to the track at Belmont Park on Thursday and Friday “but not on Saturday unless he is getting rattled.”
Other Belmont Stakes starters are: Brave Victory, Charitable Man, Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Flying Private, Luv Gov, Miner’s Escape, Mr. Hot Stuff, Summer Bird and possibly Nowhere To Hide.
The 141st running of the Belmont Stakes is horse race 11 in Belmont Park’s June 6 card. Belmont Stakes post positions will be drawn on Wednesday. Belmont Stakes post time is 6:27 pm.
Horse racing news edited from www.churchilldowns.com.
Jockey Calvin Borel backtracked Mine That Bird to the frontside and then loped around to the backstretch for the work that clockers caught in splits of :13.80, :26.60, :38.40, the half in :50 with a five-eighths gallop out time of 1:02.20 and six furlongs in 1:15.
The time for the half-mile was the 32nd fastest of 57 at the distance.
“He picked it up good the last quarter,” said race horse trainer Chip Woolley, who before the work said he was looking for something in the 49 to 49.20 range. “The main thing was the last quarter in 23 and 2. The important part was finishing strong and galloping out without weakening.”
After the work, jockey Calvin Borel was ecstatic about the work and Mine That Bird’s chances in the Belmont Stakes.
“We’re gonna win, no questions asked,” jockey Calvin Borel said. “He worked in :50 and out in 1:02, just like before the Derby. He is doing everything the same. After those two hard races (the Derby and Preakness), I think the colt is very happy.”
Race horse trainer Chip Woolley continued to the perfect fit that has become horse and rider.
“You watch when he comes out on the track with (exercise rider) Charlie (Figueroa) or anybody else and he has his head up and is looking around,” Chip Woolley said. “With Calvin, he just drops his neck and knows it is time to go to work. He knows the difference, maybe it’s because Calvin is lighter.”
Woolley is going to look in on Mine That Bird early Tuesday morning before catching a 7:15 flight to New York with Mine That Bird flying the following day.
“I think we are in good shape going into the Belmont,” Woolley said. “The horse is doing good and probably training better than he did going into the Derby.”
“It is going to be a tough race and, how many do I fear? How many are in there? Wayne’s horse (Flying Private for trainer D. Wayne Lukas) is on the improve and Kiaran’s horse (Charitable Man for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin) is a sheer monster and he likes that racetrack.”
Woolley said that Mine That Bird would return to the track early Wednesday morning to backtrack to the paddock runway and go around the track 1 1/2 times. Mine That Bird would go to the track at Belmont Park on Thursday and Friday “but not on Saturday unless he is getting rattled.”
Other Belmont Stakes starters are: Brave Victory, Charitable Man, Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Flying Private, Luv Gov, Miner’s Escape, Mr. Hot Stuff, Summer Bird and possibly Nowhere To Hide.
The 141st running of the Belmont Stakes is horse race 11 in Belmont Park’s June 6 card. Belmont Stakes post positions will be drawn on Wednesday. Belmont Stakes post time is 6:27 pm.
Horse racing news edited from www.churchilldowns.com.
Monday, June 1, 2009
$1 Million Guaranteed Pick 4, Pick 6 on Belmont Stakes Day
Story by: Jenny Kellner
The New York Racing Association, Inc. will offer both a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes Pick 6 and a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes Pick 4 on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 6.
The $1 million Pick 6, in which the player must correctly select the winners of six straight races, begins with race No. 6 on the 13-race card and concludes with the 141st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes. The wager also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 True North Handicap for sprinters, the Grade 1, $400,000 Just A Game for fillies and mares at a mile on the turf, the Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn for three-year-old fillies, the Grade 2, $250,000 Woody Stephens for three-year-olds, and the Grade 1, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan.
The $1 million Pick 4, in which the player must correctly select the winners of four straight races, begins with the eighth race and includes race 10, the Woodford Reserve Manhattan, and the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes.
Post time for the Belmont Stakes, to be televised by ABC-TV from 5-7 p.m., is approximately 6:27 p.m.
On Friday, June 5, NYRA will again offer the Brooklyn/Belmont Double, linking two marathon races, the Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap on Friday and Saturday's Belmont Stakes, both 12-furlong events. Wagering for the Brooklyn/Belmont Double closes at post time for the Brooklyn Handicap, scheduled for 5:49 p.m.
First race post time for Belmont Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m., with gates opening at 8:30 a.m. First race post time on Friday, June 5, is 1 p.m.
The New York Racing Association, Inc. will offer both a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes Pick 6 and a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes Pick 4 on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 6.
The $1 million Pick 6, in which the player must correctly select the winners of six straight races, begins with race No. 6 on the 13-race card and concludes with the 141st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes. The wager also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 True North Handicap for sprinters, the Grade 1, $400,000 Just A Game for fillies and mares at a mile on the turf, the Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn for three-year-old fillies, the Grade 2, $250,000 Woody Stephens for three-year-olds, and the Grade 1, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan.
The $1 million Pick 4, in which the player must correctly select the winners of four straight races, begins with the eighth race and includes race 10, the Woodford Reserve Manhattan, and the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes.
Post time for the Belmont Stakes, to be televised by ABC-TV from 5-7 p.m., is approximately 6:27 p.m.
On Friday, June 5, NYRA will again offer the Brooklyn/Belmont Double, linking two marathon races, the Grade 2, $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap on Friday and Saturday's Belmont Stakes, both 12-furlong events. Wagering for the Brooklyn/Belmont Double closes at post time for the Brooklyn Handicap, scheduled for 5:49 p.m.
First race post time for Belmont Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m., with gates opening at 8:30 a.m. First race post time on Friday, June 5, is 1 p.m.
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