Trainer Chip Woolley sent Kentucky Derby (G1) winner MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone)
back to the main track at Saratoga Friday morning following a clean endoscopic
examination performed by Dr. James Hunt.
“In Doc’s words, he was perfect,” Woolley said. “You couldn’t tell (he had
anything done) and there’s not even any inflammation around the epiglottis,
everything looks just smooth, laid out flat, real pretty. So we (sent him to the
track), he played all the way around there, looked like he was happy and felt
good, came off the track bouncing and playing, so I would say we’re on track
right now. We don’t have any excuses, the horse looks really good. Never
coughed, never anything like that, so real happy with where we’re at.”
Mine That Bird had minor surgery to repair an entrapped epiglottis Tuesday
morning at the Ruffian Equine Medical Center in Elmont, New York, and was
sidelined from training for two days, which Woolley said he did not consider an
issue.
“Oh no, he’s dead fit and fortunately we found it following a work, not going
into a work and we missed a work,” Woolley said. “So, we’re in pretty good shape
and I don’t have any worries about missing a day or two. You miss that many days
of training to a muddy racetrack or any other thing, so really no big deal.
We’ll scope him again in a couple of days to make sure we haven’t irritated
something in there, but right now he looks as good as you could ever ask him.”
Woolley said Mine That Bird would breeze again Tuesday at 8:45 a.m. (EDT) on
the main track in preparation for the $1 million Travers S. (G1) on August 29.
He said he had not yet spoken to owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach, but
would fill them in later in the day.
“I was real happy when we looked in there and (it looked) like the absolute
perfect throat and you can’t even tell that anything was done in there at all.
You breathe a big sigh of relief when you hear the vet pull that scope out and
say ‘it looks perfect to me.’ That’s a good thing; it’s what we were looking
for.”
Belmont S. (G1) winner SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone) will have his final serious
work for the Travers at 8:45 a.m. Saturday morning, rain or shine, said trainer
Tim Ice. After a day of rain on Friday, the weather forecast calls for an 80
percent chance of thundershowers through Saturday morning.
“He worked twice in the mud at Monmouth Park,” Ice said. “And what if it
rains for the Travers? I’m not going to scratch him.”
Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux will be aboard for the move.
CHARITABLE MAN (Lemon Drop Kid) turned in a bullet four-furlong work Friday
morning in preparation for the Travers. Charitable Man covered the half mile in
47 2/5, the fastest of 24 works at the distance over the fast main track at
Saratoga.
“He worked very well,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “We were happy —
probably happier with the work than we will be with the other entries, when we
see them, but he’s doing very well.”
Jockey Ramon Dominguez was in the irons for Friday’s work and will ride the
colt in the Travers, a rider change from Alan Garcia.
“Ramon worked him this morning and really liked him,” McLaughlin said. “He’s
a top rider; I think he fits all horses. So is Alan, but we decided to make a
change.”
WinStar Farms, winner of last year’s thrilling Travers with Colonel John
(Tiznow), is back to try for a second straight victory in the 1 1/4-mile race
with HOLD ME BACK (Giant’s Causeway), most recently fifth in the Virginia Derby
(G2) over a soft turf course he did not care for.
“We’re trying him back on the dirt and we’ll see what happens,” Hall of Fame
trainer Bill Mott said. “It’s a big race and we want to give him a chance to
show himself. Obviously we think he’s a good horse with a lot of quality. There
will be a lot of good horses in there, but a lot of times the favorite doesn’t
win.”
A $400,000 purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale, Hold Me
Back won the Lane’s End S. (G2) at Turfway Park this spring, was second to
General Quarters (Sky Mesa) in the Blue Grass S. (G1) and then finished 12th in
the Kentucky Derby after an eventful trip.
With a record of 7-3-1-0, Hold Me Back will be making his first appearance at
Saratoga, having broken his maiden last year at Arlington Park.
“He’s worked very well up here,” said Mott of the colt, who breezed six
furlongs in 1:13 on August 16. “We think he can handle the distance — just his
style would indicate that.”
With regular rider Kent Desormeaux committed to Summer Bird, Julien Leparoux
will have the mount in the Travers, according to Mott.
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who saddled Birdstone to victory in the 2004
Travers, will be sending out his 22nd starter in the Mid-Summer Derby with OUR
EDGE (The Cliff’s Edge), who is bringing a three-race winning streak into the
Travers, most recently taking the Barbaro S. (G3) at Delaware Park in a
seven-length romp.
“It’s exciting,” Zito said. “He’s a beautiful horse, a big, strong horse.
He’s been working great every week, and last week was a sensational workout (a
half-mile in a bullet 46 3/5 over the training track).”
Unraced at age two, Our Edge broke his maiden at Delaware Park on May 18 in
his third career start, and then took the 1 1/16-mile Coronado’s Quest S. at
Monmouth Park on June 20.
“Don’t get me wrong, I told Bob LaPenta, we’re really taking an enormous
shot,” Zito added. “But we always take a shot, that’s been our deal. We either
make it, or we don’t. It’s a blessing to be in it. His father, being by the
Cliff, running second to Birdstone (in the 2004 Travers), we’ll see what
happens.”
Our Edge will have his final prep for the Travers either Saturday or Sunday,
Zito said. Alan Garcia will ride.