Friday, May 15, 2009

Kentucky Derby champ MIne That Bird gets no respect

Kentucky Derby champ Mine That Bird is getting no respect after winning as a 50-1 shot...first his jockey jumped ship, then he was listed as the third favorite behind Pioneerof the Nile and a horse that did not even run the Derby, and a filly at that, Rachel Alexandra (photo, above) -- who is going to be ridden by Calvin Borel, the same jockey who was on Mine that Bird two weeks ago...

Filly Facts
- It has been 85 years since a filly won the Preakness
- It has been 103 years since one won as the favorite
- Nellie Morse was the last filly to win, in 1924
- Whimsical, at 8-5, was the last winner to go off as the favorite

Ken Murray of the Baltimore Sun writes how the filly is the favorite... "History waits for Preakness favorite Rachel Alexandra on Saturday, and it's not good history. The 3-year-old filly drew the 13th and outside post Wednesday for the Preakness Stakes, drawing a groan from the crowd of invited onlookers inside an air-conditioned tent at Pimlico Race Course." ...
  • Ken Murray


  • Vic Ziegel of the New York Daily News writes how Mind That Bird's trainer says the Derby was not a fluke... "Mine That Bird, vanned from Churchill Downs, with Woolley driving all 10 hours, and received a police escort for the last few miles. "The first time I've had the police leading me instead of chasing me," the trainer said. A joke, he told a joke. Who knew he had a punch line in him? Or turn out to be something more than an aw-shucks cowboy who might be capable of delivering a complete sentence." ...
  • Vic Ziegel


  • Below is the 2:20 clip of Rachel Alexandra's win at the Kentucky Oaks...

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