“Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird will have a new jockey when he makes his next start on Aug. 1 in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park. Mark Allen, who owns Mine That Bird with Leonard Blach, said Wednesday that he and trainer Chip Woolley were not yet prepared to name a replacement for Calvin Borel but that they wanted a firm commitment through the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. That span of several months also is scheduled to include the Aug. 29 Shadwell Travers Stakes at Saratoga and probably one more race leading into the BC Classic.” (from ESPN.com) Borel’s decision to switch to Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, his poor ride of Bird in the Belmont, and his continuous hedging forced the owners to drop Borel.
freddy in beautiful boca raton
The reality is Rachel Alexandra wil probably run in the B.C. Classic rather than in the Filly/Mare race and Borel would much prefer to ride the filly than the Mine That Bird. It makes sense for Mine That Bird’s connections to find a jockey who will ride the gelding the rest of the year. One rider they should consider is Chantal Sutherland who had a great deal of success riding Mine That Bird in Canada during his 2 year old campaign when he was voted Canada’s best 2 year old.
· 11/12/2019