Mine That Bird works for Preakness; rival owners won’t
block Rachel Alexandra
That signaled the trip was not business as usual — no two-mile gallop under
“Are you working?” Woolley was asked upon arrival at a viewing stand.
“No. I’m just going to let him stretch his legs for a half-mile and let him
As Mine That Bird back-tracked to the paddock runway, Derby
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“Are they going to work together?” one onlooker queried.
“They better not be,” Woolley said with a laugh.
Soon after, Mine That Bird came into view and went about his business, which
was duly recorded as a half-mile work in :49 1/5 with fractions of :12 4/5, :25
1/5, :37 and out five-eighths in 1:02 4/5 over the fast track. The move ranked
as the 17th fastest of 48 at the distance.
“That was no work for him,” Woolley said. “He didn’t flare a nostril coming
back. Calvin did a great job.”
Woolley had intended to jog Mine That Bird in the morning before leaving for
Pimlico.
“This way, I’ll be able to walk tomorrow and then get back on the
track Wednesday at Pimlico,” Woolley said. “I would have possibly missed a day, so it
worked better this way to do what we did.”
Borel, who won his second Kentucky Derby aboard Mine That Bird, would ride
Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro) if she runs in
Saturday’s Preakness S. (G1), leaving Woolley without a rider.
“Calvin has first call,” Woolley said. “Mike Smith has agreed to be the
backup and he will be there to ride him (if Rachel Alexandra runs).”
Smith, who rode Chocolate Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]) to a fifth-place finish
behind Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby, won the 1993 Preakness on Derby
runner-up Prairie Bayou.
Woolley said he hopes to have everything loaded and ready to go for a 9 a.m.
(EDT) departure Tuesday for Pimlico.
Mark Allen, who along with Dr. Leonard Blach owns Mine That Bird in the
partnership of Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, said that Indy
Express (A.P. Indy), whom he owns as part of Fourteen Enterprises, would remain
at Churchill Downs and point for a race Friday.
Trained by Joe Merrick, Indy Express had been considered as a possible
Preakness starter by Allen, who nixed the idea Sunday night. Indy Express is
winless in nine starts. Indy Express worked five furlongs in 1:02 under Joe
Johnson about the same time Mine That Bird went through his paces.
Pioneerof the Nile, winner of the Santa
Trainer Bob Baffert, a three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby and four-time
“I liked what I saw,” Baffert said. “He bounced out of that race well. He was
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Baffert said he is looking forward to saddling Pioneerof the Nile for a
rematch with longshot Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and a first meeting
with Rachel Alexandra, who is expected
to be made a supplemental entry to the 1 3/16-mile second jewel of the Triple
Crown.
“I think it’s going to be a really exciting race,” Baffert said. “She’s a
great filly, but I think we have a great horse. There’s some other horses in
there that are pretty good — MUSKET MAN (Yonaguska), PAPA CLEM (Smart Strike)
and the Derby winner.
“There are going to be a lot of questions answered in the Preakness and
that’s what it’s all about. We’ll just see what happens, but we looked great
today. I really liked what I saw.”
“That’s no issue — that was something that was just being mulled around and
Baffert does have experience running a high quality filly against colts in
“I was mad at myself for doing that,” Baffert said of Silverbulletday’s
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“With her style of running she probably has a better chance because she’s out
there away from the action,” he said. “If she was a come-from-behind type, it’s
harder on them. I think the Belmont would probably suit her. She’d get out there
with that long stride and cruise around there.
“But it (Rachel Alexandra’s presence in the Preakness) brings a lot to the
race. It’s gonna be exciting, it’s gonna be big. It’s gonna be just as big as
the Derby, having a great filly like that run with these colts. You’ve got the
Derby winner and you’ve got all these horses, so it’s gonna be a big field —
but you still need a lot of luck. But I’m really excited about it and it’s gonna
be a great day for racing.
Owner/trainer Tom McCarthy was looking for something in the 50- to 51-second
“I’ll say :52,” McCarthy said. “He started off a little slow.”
“Fifty and one (-fifth),” came the report.
“Perfect. Looks like he finished up better than he started,” McCarthy said.
Clockers caught General Quarters in splits of :12 3/5, :25, :37 2/5 and out
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“It was the first time I had worked the horse and I was impressed with him,”
Court said. “I had a lot of horse and I think he will do well over there.”
General Quarters, the 10th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled
to leave Churchill Downs on Tuesday before training hours begin at 6 a.m.
With jockey Jamie Theriot aboard, Flying Private clicked off fractions of :12
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he was satisfied with the move and that Flying
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Alan Garcia has the Preakness mount on Flying Private, who finished 19th in
the Kentucky Derby.
At Pimlico, meanwhile, jockey John Velazquez and BIG DRAMA (Montbrook) got
acquainted Monday morning during a four-furlong workout that was timed in :50
over the fast track. The pair galloped out five furlongs in 1:02 3/5.
Although the clocking wasn’t eye-catching, Velazquez was suitably impressed.
“The reason I started slow was because he was going strong to the (half-mile)
Big Drama, who made a little jump over a spot in the track at the top of the
“He didn’t want to leave his race on the track. I’d rather have (50 seconds)
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Two Preakness probables who worked Sunday morning at Churchill Downs remained
in the barn Monday morning.
TERRAIN (Sky Mesa), who worked five furlongs in 1:02 3/5, is scheduled to
return to the track Tuesday morning. His connections decided Monday to offer
Jeremy Rose the Preakness mount. Trainer Al Stall Jr. said he was looking for
some “local knowledge” while zeroing in on Rose, who has enjoyed considerable
success on the Maryland circuit and visited the Pimlico winner’s circle with
Afleet Alex following his victory in the 2005 middle jewel of the Triple Crown..
“Jeremy rides well and he’s won the race,” Stall said.
Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra had worked a half-mile in :48 2/5 and
had a quiet Monday morning while walking the shedrow at new trainer Steve Asmussen’s
barn at Churchill Downs.
“She came out of her work in good order,” said Scott Blasi, a top assistant
to Asmussen. “Physically she looks beautiful.”
Blasi said Rachel Alexandra is scheduled to be shipped from Louisville to
Baltimore Wednesday on a charter flight.
In other Preakness news:
The connections of HULL (Holy Bull), the least-experienced prospect for the Preakness, decided on Monday to withdraw the colt from the Preakness field.
“When I committed to run in the race, I liked the way it was setting up,”
co-owner Barry Irwin of Team Valor International said. “I think the pace is
going to be too hot. I don’t like the way it’s shaping up for our horse. It’s
going to be our horse’s first time around two turns, and I just think there’s
too much speed in there and I’m not comfortable.”
The unbeaten colt won the Derby Trial (G3) in his last start, only the third
of his career. Irwin said they would run Hull in the Woody Stephens S. (G2) on
the Belmont undercard on June 6.
“I’d like to be able to run him in the Preakness, but I don’t want to screw
the horse up,” Irwin said. “He’s only run three times, so I don’t want to mess
him up.”
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas reported LUV GOV (Ten Most Wanted) was still on course
for the Preakness. However, Lukas said the colt will not be entered if his
presence would have an impact on Rachel Alexandra being able to compete in the
race. He said it was never his intention to enter a second horse to block the
filly from being in the field.
“Let me make this crystal clear, there is no controversy,” Lukas said. “We
entered and I told Coley Blind, the stakes coordinator, that we would enter only
if there was no controversy with the filly and we did not exclude her. If in any
way, shape or form she is excluded because of our entry, then we will not enter.
We are not trying to keep the filly out.
“We’re only entering if there is a hole open in the 14th gate. We are not
trying to keep the filly from running. If she is excluded by Luv Gov, he will
not run. (Owner) Marylou Whitney, with her status in racing and what she has
meant to the industry, has no interest in causing a controversy in the
Preakness.
“If we make the 14th horse, we’ll enter. If for some reason between now and
Wednesday’s draw, if somebody else enters and it eliminates the filly, we will
not enter.”
Luv Gov walked the shedrow Monday at Churchill Downs, the morning after he
worked a half-mile.
“He had a nice breeze Sunday, probably one of the best of the spring for
him,” Lukas said.
Trainer Derek Ryan sent out Illinois Derby (G2) winner Musket Man for a 1
“He’s doing fine,” said Ryan, a native of Ireland and a former assistant to
Papa Clem, the Arkansas Derby (G2) winner and one of only two Preakness
FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) arrived by van at Pimlico Monday shortly before 2
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TAKE THE POINTS (Even the Score) jogged a mile Monday morning at Belmont
Park, a day after he completed a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.
“We were very happy with his breeze,” said Jonathan Thomas, an assistant to
trainer Todd Pletcher. “It was a standard breeze and he appeared to come out of
it pretty well.”
Shipping plans from New York to Baltimore have not been finalized. Hall of
Fame jockey Edgar Prado will ride the speedy colt, who will compete in blinkers
for the first time.
Federico Tesio S. third-place finisher TONE IT DOWN (Medaglia d’Oro) galloped
1 1/2 miles at trainer Bill Komlo’s home base at Laurel. Komlo said he is
mulling the possibility of a final workout Tuesday or Wednesday.