Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird will not start in Saturday's 140th Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The gelding's owners and trainer announced Wednesday morning that the three-year- old will skip the $1 million race to give him more time to recover from recent throat surgery.
"We've decided to err on the side of caution and pass this race up and aim down the road to the Breeders' Cup," trainer Chip Woolley said. "There's one little spot underneath the epiglottis pushing up just a tiny bit and after studying and looking at it, we're going to hold off and make sure the horse is okay and not take any chances with the rest of his career.
"It's probably not a problem, but we don't feel comfortable taking a chance. It probably would have no bearing on the race, but we don't want to do anything that might jeopardize his future."
Mine That Bird had throat surgery last Tuesday for an entrapped epiglottis. Dr. Patricia Hogan performed the surgery at the Ruffian Equine Medical Center located across the street from Belmont Park. The Derby champ had his first workout after the procedure yesterday.
Owned by Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen, Mine That Bird is scheduled to lead the post parade for the $2 million All America Futurity at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico on Labor Day and will not run in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park that day.
"It was a hard decision," said Dr. Blach. "(The endoscopic examination Wednesday) showed a small spot on the left lateral quarter of the epiglottis. It's healed up, it's not raw, there's no ulcer on there at all it's just kind of an enlargement on the left side. Essentially it's going to be normal and it's probably going to be there for a while. Having surgery just eight days ago, we probably don't want to take a risk."
Mine That Bird was a 50-1 longshot when he won the Kentucky Derby. Two weeks later he was second in the Preakness Stakes to the filly Rachel Alexandra and was third to Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes.
Voted the 2008 Canadian champion two-year-old, he has earned $1,892,200 with one win in six starts in 2009.
With the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic this year's ultimate goal, Mine That Bird's next start is yet to be decided. Woolley and the owners said they would consider the $500,000 Goodwood Stakes for older horses at Santa Anita on Saturday, October 10.
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