Borel Back On Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes
Preakness Winner Rachel Alexandra Skips Belmont Stakes
The filly’s co-owner, Jess Jackson, announced May 29 that the Kentucky Oaks and Preakness Stakes winner will be rested before returning to the track later this year. The filly has won four straight stakes this spring. Fans are hoping for a matchup later this season with 5-year-old mare Zenyatta, who has won 10 straight races to date.
Calvin Borel Will Ride Ride Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird, the little gelding that won the Kentucky Derby at over 50-1 odds and was a closing second to Rachel in the Preakness, will be reunited with his Derby rider. Calvin Borel has committed to ride the filly for the rest of the season, but with Rachel out, Borel gets the mount back on Bird for the mile and a half test. The gelding was ridden in the Preakness by Mike Smith, but Smith has a prior commitment to ride another horse on the west coast on Belmont day. The 1-1/2-mile Belmont is run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
Borel has been working the gelded son of Birdstone since the Derby despite choosing not to ride Bird in the Preakness. Bird has resumed his regular long gallops, generally going about two miles every morning. He is training at Churchill Downs and will fly to New York on June 3.
The last horse to win the Derby and Belmont was Thunder Gulch in 1995.
Other Belmont Stakes Contenders
Some of the other entries expected to contest the third jewel of the American Triple Crown include Dunkirk, second in the Florida Derby but well back in the Kentucky Derby; Peter Pan Stakes winner Charitable Man; Miner's Escape, first in the Federico Tesio Stakes; Brave Victory, third in the Peter Pan; Summer Bird, sixth in the Kentucky Derby; Chocolate Candy, fifth in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Santa Anita Derby; Nowhere To Hide, fourth in the Illinois Derby; and D. Wayne Lukas trainees Flying Private (fourth in the Preakness), Luv Gov (eighth in the Preakness) and Mr. Hot Stuff, whose best finishes this spring have been two thirds in graded stakes.
Several of the horses are sired by stallions who raced well at longer distances. Summer Bird and probable race favourite Mine That Bird are both by Bemont Stakes winner Birdstone. Charitable Man is by Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid, while Luv Gov is a son of Belmont runner-up Ten Most Wanted. The rest are by stallions whose best distances were 10 furlongs or less.
General Quarters, who raced in the first two jewels, is not entered. Friesan Fire, the Derby favourite, has been injured and will be on the sidelines for several weeks. Both were disappointing in their Triple Crown races. Another possible contender, Quality Road, is out with a quarter crack. Musket Man, who was third in both the Derby and the Preakness, apparently is skipping the last leg of the Crown.
Final entries will be announced on June 3.
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