Mine That Bird works for West Virginia Derby

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) continued his preparation for a

return to competition in the August 1 West Virginia Derby (G2) with a strong

five-furlong work on Monday at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Chip Woolley looked on from the grandstand as the gelding finished

strong while covering five furlongs over a fast track in 1:02. Jockey Jamie

Theriot was in the saddle as Mine That Bird galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.

The work by Mine That Bird ranked as 12th fastest out of 18 moves at the

distance. 

Fractional times for the work were not available, but observers timed Mine

That Bird's final eighth of a mile in less than 12 seconds, which pleased

Woolley.

"The horse is doing super -- he really worked good this morning," Woolley

said. "He started off real soft -- I imagine that first eighth of a mile must

have been in 13-and-change. But he really picked it up down the lane and was

really firing off the ground down the lane. He's coming into it real good. We're

really kind of excited and ready to pick up and head across there and run."

"He worked fantastic," Theriot said. "He was nice and easy leaving the pole

and he wanted me to pick it up in the last eighth of a mile and he came home in

11, so it was exactly what we wanted from him.:

Woolley said Mine That Bird would work again next Monday at Churchill Downs,

which is scheduled to be his final local work before the West Virginia Derby.

The race will be his first since he finished third to Summer Bird (Birdstone) in

the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 6 at Belmont Park. The schedule now calls for

Mine That Bird to ship to Mountaineer Park on July 24.

"We'll breeze him one soft one over the racetrack over there (at Mountaineer)

and run," Woolley said. "After that we'll head straight to Saratoga (for the

Travers S. [G1] on August 29)."