Will Mine That Bird Run In Saturday's Travers Stakes?

by Kim Thomas

We won’t know until tomorrow morning during the post position draw at Saratoga whether or not Derby winner MINE THAT BIRD will run in the Grade I Travers Stakes on Saturday.

MINE THAT BIRD had surgery last week to correct a breathing problem that involved an entrapped epiglottis.  He missed several days of training, but went right back to work soon thereafter, and after a good jog this morning, an endoscopy revealed there were no complications.

However, out of an abundance of caution, trainer Chip Woolley has decided to wait and see.   According to the Daily Racing Form, Woolley stated, "If we irritated his throat today - and we'll look at it in the morning - if it looks bad we ain't gonna run. If it it's not irritated in the morning, you got to feel like he's doing okay. It's just that simple."

If he doesn't run in the Travers, MINE THAT BIRD would most likely make his next start in the Grade I Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 10. The Goodwood Stakes is a $500,000 race; the Travers is a million dollar purse, but if his owners and trainer want to keep him healthy, it is certainly what seems to be a wise decision.  So if he doesn't run, they’ll simply ship him back out west.  First he will go to New Mexico to lead the post parade for the All-American Futurity, a Quarter Horse race, on Sept. 7, which allows plenty of time for travel to Santa Anita. 

KimmyTip: If MINE THAT BIRD doesn’t run -- and also, our lovely lady RACHEL ALEXANDRA has her sights set on the Woodward Stakes versus running in the Travers (she's going to run against the older boys this time) – I like HOLD ME BACK to win the Travers Stakes on Saturday...but that's just me.