Mine That Bird works half-mile at Churchill

Mine That Bird turned in his first work since the Belmont (Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs) Kentucky Derby (G1) winner MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) worked a half-mile in :51 over a fast track Monday morning at Churchill Downs in his first serious training move since a third-place finish to Summer Bird (Birdstone) in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 6. Jockey Calvin Borel was aboard for the first in a series of five breezes leading to a scheduled run in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G2) on August 1 at Mountaineer Park. Working well off the rail in the four path, Mine That Bird clicked off fractions of :12 4/5, :25 1/5, :38 1/5 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:04 2/5. The half-mile time was the 30th fastest of 42 at the distance. Coming off the track, Borel gave a big thumbs up to trainer Chip Woolley. "He came off the track bouncing just like he was before the Derby," Borel said. "He's ready. He doesn't need much. He's playful and happy and back to right where he was before the Derby." Woolley thought the work would be a little faster. "I thought he'd go in :49 or :50 because he's a little fresh, the freshest he's ever been," Woolley said. "I thought he'd be in the bridle a little more, but he looked good and came back cool as a cucumber. He was a little more into the bridle at Belmont and got a little shook up. Believe me, I like it a lot better this way."

Owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, Mine That Bird will walk

Tuesday and return to the track Wednesday with another half-mile work scheduled

for July 6.

"His work next week will be sharper and then we will back off a bit in the

next one," Woolley said of the schedule that calls for a five-furlong work on

July 13.

Woolley is contemplating a change in his travel schedule to Mountaineer in

Chester, West Virginia. Originally, the trainer wanted to have two works over

the track there, and it could still happen.

"I may ship up later and have just one breeze there," Woolley said. "'The

Bird' doesn't need to take his racetrack with him. He has run on that fast track

at Sunland and the deep, sandy track at Belmont. He will still have a work on

(July 20), the only question is where."

After the West Virginia Derby, Woolley has targeted the $1 million Travers S.

(G1) at Saratoga on August 29 where Mine That Bird possibly could meet up with

Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro),

the outstanding three-year-old filly who won last Saturday's Mother Goose S.

(G1) by a record 19 1/4 lengths in stakes-record time at Belmont Park. Mine That

Bird fell a length short of catching Rachel Alexandra in the May 16 Preakness.

"If it happens, it would be a good thing for racing and that would be a great

spot to do it," Woolley said. "Let's just see where things fall."