Kentucky Derby 135 Winner Mine That Bird, Breeders' Cup Classic Contender Haynesfield Turn In Sunday Works

Oct 18, 2010 John Asher

Mine That Bird, winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), and Haynesfield, upset winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) last time out, tuned up for runs in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships with workouts on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Serte Equine’s Mine That Bird breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.  The move by the 4-year-old Birdstone gelding was the sixth-fastest of 25 at the distance over a “fast” track.  Lukas is pointing Mine That Bird, who has failed to win eight races since his victory at odds of 50-1 in Kentucky Derby 135, toward a possible run in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Haynesfield, a winner of three of four races in 2010 and bound for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) for Turtle Bird Stable, covered five-eighths of a mile in 1:02.20.  The New York-bred son of Speightstown, who also won the Suburban (GII) at Belmont Park for trainer Steve Asmussen, finished well as Churchill Downs clockers recorded his final quarter-mile in :23.80.  The move by Haynesfield ranked as the 13th fastest of 25 works at the distance.

Other Breeders’ Cup contenders that turned in Sunday training moves at Churchill Downs included $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint (GI) hopes Secret Gypsy, owned by Richland Hills Stable and John Kuehl, and C R K Stable’s Switch.  The seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint will be run at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 5.

The John Sadler-trained Switch sizzled in a “bullet” half-mile work in :47 that was the fastest of 40 moves at the distance.  Switch covered the distance in fractional times of :11:80, :23 and :34.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60.  Switch was runner-up to unbeaten defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Zenyatta in the recent Lady’s Secret (GI) and defeated Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Blind Luck in the Hollywood Oaks (GII).

Trainer Ronny Werner’s Secret Gypsy breezed four furlongs in :47.80, which was the third-fastest move at the distance.  The winner of Saratoga’s Honorable Milss (GII) and the Endine (GIII) at Delaware Park covered her first quarter in :24.30 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60.

Team Valor’s Pluck, who earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI) with a victory in the Summer Stakes (GIII) at Canada’s Woodbine, worked five furlongs in 1:02.20.

Saturday workers at Churchill Downs included Oak Leaf (GI) runner-up and Del Mar Debutante (GI) winner Tell A Kelly, who breezed four furlongs in :48.60 under jockey Calvin Borel.  Owned by and trained by Sadler, the daughter of Tapit is a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

Other horses of note on the Sunday, Oct. 17 work tab included Hurricane Ike, winner of The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII), who breezed five furlongs in :59 – the fastest of 25 moves at the distance; WinStar Farm’s Rule, who breezed three furlongs in :37.20; Exhi, who breezed five furlongs in 1:0l; Dubious Miss, who breezed six furlongs in a “bullet” 1:14.80.