Article on Mine That Bird from none other than Chip Woolley
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from the NY Post:
Bennie "Chip" Woolley Jr., 45, trains Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who finished third in Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Woolley shares his obser vations with Post readers. As told to Ed Fountaine.
THANK goodness for a good colt that brought me here to have so much fun. When they turned for home in the Belmont and he struck the front, the crowd roared like there was a Triple Crown on the line. That was really cool.
I'm disappointed we lost, but I've enjoyed this whole experience. I'm sure I've learned things about the Triple Crown I don't even realize yet.
The Belmont was the race we pointed for from the beginning, and we wouldn't have run in the Preakness if we didn't win the Derby. Maybe if we skipped the Preakness, we might have won Saturday. But I'd much sooner win the Derby and run third in the Belmont than run fifth in the Derby and win the Belmont.
I've been watching the Derby since I was 8 years old. Just to be part of it would have been worth the trip. Even if he'd finished last, I'd have joined a list of great trainers that finished last. But he earned his way there, and I thank God every day that we went.
I really felt a mile-and-a-quarter fit him better than any horse in the race. I knew he could run all day, and he's got an amazing turn of foot.
It's all about the horse. Mine That Bird is an individual, and he'll tell you when and where to run. I'm not working any magic. He's just a good horse, and he does his job.
He'll get some well-earned time off now. For his next race, we're looking at the usual races. The Travers, Haskell, Pennsylvania Derby, West Virginia Derby. We're working backward from the Breeders' Cup, his ultimate goal, seeing which of those races fit.
There have been several offers to buy him. We'll see what happens.
Bennie "Chip" Woolley Jr., 45, trains Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, who finished third in Saturday's Belmont Stakes. Woolley shares his obser vations with Post readers. As told to Ed Fountaine.
THANK goodness for a good colt that brought me here to have so much fun. When they turned for home in the Belmont and he struck the front, the crowd roared like there was a Triple Crown on the line. That was really cool.
I'm disappointed we lost, but I've enjoyed this whole experience. I'm sure I've learned things about the Triple Crown I don't even realize yet.
The Belmont was the race we pointed for from the beginning, and we wouldn't have run in the Preakness if we didn't win the Derby. Maybe if we skipped the Preakness, we might have won Saturday. But I'd much sooner win the Derby and run third in the Belmont than run fifth in the Derby and win the Belmont.
I've been watching the Derby since I was 8 years old. Just to be part of it would have been worth the trip. Even if he'd finished last, I'd have joined a list of great trainers that finished last. But he earned his way there, and I thank God every day that we went.
I really felt a mile-and-a-quarter fit him better than any horse in the race. I knew he could run all day, and he's got an amazing turn of foot.
It's all about the horse. Mine That Bird is an individual, and he'll tell you when and where to run. I'm not working any magic. He's just a good horse, and he does his job.
He'll get some well-earned time off now. For his next race, we're looking at the usual races. The Travers, Haskell, Pennsylvania Derby, West Virginia Derby. We're working backward from the Breeders' Cup, his ultimate goal, seeing which of those races fit.
There have been several offers to buy him. We'll see what happens.
Comments
You need to chill out a bit and remember this is a horse racing site. :smoking: