Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird To Have Surgery Tuesday
The Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird will have minor throat surgery Tuesday, and trainer Chip Woolley still hopes his race horse can run in the 2009 Travers Stakes on August 29 at Saratoga.
The operation on Tuesday is to clear a breathing passage. Race horse trainer Chip Woolley said the problem was discovered Monday after Mine That Bird returned from a workout at Saratoga Race Course.
The 3-year-old gelding Mine That Bird will be taken to the Ruffian Equine Medical Center near Belmont Park, home of the Belmont Stakes, for the procedure.
“The doctors think–there are no guarantees–but the doctors think he’ll be good for Travers,” race horse trainer Chip Woolley said. “It will be somewhat day to day. We will not run him if he’s not 100%.”
Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby at 50-1 odds, then finished second to filly Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness and third behind Summer Bird in the Belmont. He was third in the West Virginia Derby in his most recent start.
The throat problem–an entrapped epiglottis–can interfere with a horse’s breathing. It was detected during a routine examination shortly after Mine That Bird worked five furlongs in 1:03.83.
Filly Rachel Alexandra, winner over males in the Haskell Invitational in her most recent start, worked five furlongs in 1:00.37 at Saratoga on Monday and is also under consideration for the Travers, as is her stablemate, Jim Dandy Stakes winner Kensei.
An announcement on filly Rachel Alexandra’s next race is expected this week. Principal owner Jess Jackson and race horse trainer Steve Asmussen have several options at Saratoga.
Included in filly Rachel Alexandra’s possible next start are Saturday’s Alabama Stakes, which is restricted to 3-year-old fillies, the August 30 Personal Ensign Stakes for fillies and mares and the September 5 Woodward Stakes, which would pit her against older males.
Tags: Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra
"Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird To Have Surgery Tuesday" was posted on 17 August 2009 11:11 PM under Horse Racing News, Horses, Special Features
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