Mine That Bird breezes six furlongs; Lukas ponders options

Mine That Bird, whose last victory came in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, continues to please new trainer D. Wayne Lukas (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) Kentucky Derby (G1) winner MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) continued to work toward his first start of 2010 by breezing six furlongs in company in 1:13 over a fast Churchill Downs track on Tuesday morning. With jockey Calvin Borel up, Mine That Bird worked after the renovation break in company with the three-year-old maiden Bird Empire (Empire Maker) for the second consecutive week. The 2009 Kentucky Derby winner spotted Bird Empire two lengths when breaking off at the three-quarter pole and tracked his workmate to the top of the stretch where he easily dispatched his company on the inside and finished five lengths in front. Churchill Downs clockers caught Mine That Bird in fractions of :12 4/5, :25, :37 3/5, :49 3/5 and galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27 1/5. Bird Empire was given a clocking of 1:14 2/5 for his six-furlong effort.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas was all smiles after the work, the fifth for
Mine That Bird since joining the Lukas barn on May 20. The four-year-old
gelding hasn’t started since finishing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup
Classic (G1).

“When they started training horses 300 years ago, this is what they had in
mind,” Lukas said. “His last quarter was in 23 and 2 and his last eighth, it had
to be 11 and change. He was flying.”

There is an allowance optional claiming race in the condition book for which
Mine That Bird fits for July 3 and Lukas also has nominated Mine That Bird to
the Firecracker H. (G2) on grass for closing day, July 4. Lukas has not
committed to a start in either spot.

“I am not sure where we’ll go,” Lukas said. “He is nominated to the
($250,000) Salvatore Mile (G3) (at a mile on July 3 at Monmouth), which is a
nice option. He is nominated to everything but the Tokyo Fair. Our goal is the
Whitney (G1) (on August 7 at Saratoga). We are going to dive right into the deep
end.”