“I told Joe to just ease him off from the pole and that’s what he did,”
The three-year-old gelding, who arrived on the grounds from New Mexico on
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“He’s gone to the track every morning since we’ve been here and I really like
the way he’s striding out on this racetrack,” the conditioner added. “We’re real
happy with the Pro-Ride here. It seems really kind and he’s getting a good hold
of it.”
Talamo, fresh off a Monday appearance on Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show, was
also impressed with the Derby winner, who will be re-united with Calvin Borel for the
Goodwood.
“I was really looking forward to coming out and working this horse and I’m
glad I did,” Talamo said. “He’s very professional and he did just exactly what
Mr. Woolley told me he would. He went off real easy and then around the (far)
turn he went to picking it up. He’s a small horse, but when he gets into stride
he really covers a lot of ground.
“Mr. Woolley obviously knows him better than anyone, but I’d have to think
he’s sitting on a big race,” the jockey added. “He just seemed effortless this
morning. He seems to do things very easily. What a classy horse.”
As for Mine That Bird’s next work, Woolley indicated the last-to-first upset
winner of the Derby would come back in one week.
“We’ll see how he comes out of this and we’ll just walk him tomorrow,”
Woolley said. “If everything remains fine, the plan is to come back and work
five eighths next Tuesday. He’s training good and I’m glad we got out here
early. He’s acclimated beautifully.”
Second in the Preakness (G1) and third in the Belmont S. (G1), Mine That Bird
hasn’t started since a third in the West Virginia Derby (G2) on August 1. The
bay underwent successful surgery to repair an entrapped epiglottis on August 22,
and he’s now recorded six workouts since the operation.
CHOCOLATE CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]), COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow), PARADING (Pulpit),
TIAGO (Pleasant Tap) and RICHARD’S KID (Lemon Drop Kid) are also considered
likely for the Goodwood.
Looking past the Goodwood, Woolley is optimistic about his horse’s chances in
the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
“A big field with lots of speed is excellent for him,” Woolley explained.
“That would set up good for him and give him a chance to close. That’s his game
and that’s what we’re looking for. The good thing out here (Southern California)
is, there’s always plenty of pace — always.”
Wooley is also confident that Mine That Bird will handle the Pro-Ride much
better than he did in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) when he finished
last in a field of 12.
“He won four straight races on Polytrack at Woodbine last year, and he
handled the synthetic here well last year,” Woolley said. “The situation was, we
bought the horse late last year and we got him out a little late for Dick (Hall
of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who saddled Mine That Bird for the Juvenile).
We just didn’t really have enough time with him. He didn’t get a very good trip
in the Juvenile. He was wide all the way around there and he pressed the pace.
This year, we’ll change things up. Hopefully, it’ll work.”