Noble Bird holds off Lea in Stephen Foster

A gutsy Noble Bird (inside) just holds Lea in the Stephen Foster (Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos) Noble Bird’s (Birdstone) ascension in the older male ranks continued Saturday night at Churchill Downs when the four-year-old colt posted a mild 9-2 upset in the $500,000 Stephen Foster H. (G1). John Oxley’s chestnut tracked in second behind Paganol (Tiz Wonderful) for more than six furlongs as that foe set quick fractions of :23 1/5, :46 4/5 and 1:10 4/5. Shaun Bridgmohan urged Noble Bird to seize control around the far turn, and the colt opened up as much as 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch. In the final furlong, Noble Bird held off a grinding bid from 9-5 favorite Lea (First Samurai) to win by a neck in a time of 1:47 4/5 for nine furlongs over a fast track. Trained by Mark Casse, Noble Bird returned $11.40. The remainder of the field was strung out, with Lea 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), who was 5 3/4 lengths clear of Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor). Cat Burglar (Unbridled’s Song), Commissioner (A.P. Indy), and Paganol rounded out the order of finish.

This was the first career stakes win for Noble Bird, who
did not break his maiden until his fifth career start last August over the Del
Mar Polytrack. That proved to be Noble Bird’s last start of 2014, and he did not
return until February 20 at Oaklawn with a sixth-place effort in a six-furlong
allowance.

Noble Bird has done little wrong since, gutting out three
wins in four starts, all in photo finishes. After taking a first-level allowance
by a nose going a mile at Oaklawn, he won by the same margin in a second-level
allowance at Keeneland over 1 1/16 miles. He made his stakes debut in the May 1
Alysheba (G2) at Churchill, losing by a head at odds of 19-1 after taking a
short lead in midstretch. His record now stands at 10-4-3-0, $531,278.

Bred in Kentucky by Jack Swain, Noble Bird was a $105,000
Fasig-Tipton July yearling. He was reared by the unraced Anyhow (Tiznow), a
half-sister to Grade 3 winner Mythical Gem (Jade Hunter) and the multiple Grade
3-placed stakes winner Apple Charlotte (Smart Strike).

Noble Bird’s third dam is Noble Damsel (*Vaguely Noble),
the Grade 3-winning namesake of the annual turf feature for fillies and mares
held at Belmont Park’s fall meet. This is also the extended family of Australian
champion Helenus (Helissio).

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