Does Mine That Bird Win Again?
 

Personally I thought Smith moved to soon but I'm not so sure he wins if they waited either...

Is he looking at a career of OTB finishes and not another big win?

Tough, tough pace set up. I think he wins again. As a gelding he'll be around for a while. Isn't it true that horses get better as they get to four years old?

He'll win again.

Off the top of my head, Flower Alley would disagree with that assumption. :D

The 1 seemed to flourish with the tough, tough pace. Not sure if he could've gotten a better set up, he stunk today no ifs, ands, or buts.

With Calvin aboard

sure he can win again, but its going to take a drop in class, and that says something looking at the WV Derby field, a perfect trip, and maybe even some rain.

Horses who need perfect trips to win are average horses, we have lots of those in grade 3's, which is about this horses level.

One trainer down there told me Big Drama passed out after the race - and was on the ground for a long while - but he did not die.

He was put in an impossible to win race and had to move early today. The horse will win again.

What was so impossible about it?

Giving 11 pounds to a quality horse that was lone speed. It turned out that Big Drama was a giant gutless pig but at the time Smith moved he didn't know that.

So does that mean no King's Bishop?

It wasn't 11 pounds - Coa couldn't make the weight and went off at 115lbs.

And considering Big Drama allegedly passed out from heat stroke after the race on the walk back to the barn - and was down for a long time - I guess he's not a gutless pig. He was done on the turn.

Maybe his connections wanted better odds for the Travers.

I'm not ready to write him off just yet. If he fizzles in the Travers and Super Derby, there is always the turf and those short-field grass marathons in SoCal.

...hope his o.k. he had better stick to 7 panels

if mine that bird gets the right set up for his one dimensional running style, he could win again. it wouldn't surprise me if he won again, or if he didn't.

He's going to win JCGC, then end his career in Wadworth Memorial and retire :)

He will win again, if he stays healty.
He likes synthetic surfaces and that usually favors his running style, he will find a group somewhere he can handle. He is also clearly dangerous in any race with a strong pace.

If Rachel's not there, I think he's got as good a shot as any. Seriously, who are the top older horses back east? Commentator and Einstein? Do either of those two scare anyone off?

Define "big win".

Will he get another Grade 1 win? No

I would say he could become another Perfect Drift, but I don't think he's that good.

i don't see retirement for a few years at least.

The thing is, neither is the competition that he has out there. Perfect Drift was around when Medaglia d'Oro, Congaree, Mineshaft, Pleasantly Perfect, Ghostzapper, and Candy Ride were around. MTB won't have to compete with anything near that. So he can easily accomplish as much or more than Perfect Drift without being as good.

He'll probably become quite a star in New Mexico - bet he skips the Travers.

not necessarily. if he gets the right pace, the right run, he can win-he showed that in ky. if you're going to hope everything falls into place, it may as well be at 'toga.

He's finished in the money in 4 straight graded races, there's no reason to skip the Travers

Waaay to early to start making the RIP Gravestone for MTB. Personally Mike Smith I think has got to go. This horse shoulda woulda coulda won the Preakness.
This race is a total thow out. Been eight weeks, has some rust, bad ride and torrid pace, small field = loss

I think he'll take to the Saratoga Course very nicely. Should enjoy the deeper track. I say let's wait until after the Travers.

But having said all that if he does not redeem himself in the Travers we could be looking at another Funny Cide and or Giacomo. Will win a race here or there but not sustaining a Champion like run.

But again waaay too early to start writing any obits.

....each progressively worse....I think he might be done. Only so much a 5% trainer can do once the lightning he caught has faded. I think MTB is a good horse and may even win another graded stakes, but seriously competing at G1 may be a thing of the past now with the 3yo stakes almost done.

Hmmmmmm. Grade 1 races aint what they use to be, aint what they use to be...

Could have won the Preakness??? What year?

Jockey's fault. Horse loses, jockey's fault.

If Mike Smith grabs the rail in the Preakness, he wins for fun. seriously. He took him wide and he was charging like a mad man
RA did not win that race with ease nor did she win going away, she held off a hard charging MTB.

Don't get me wrong I think RA is the best 3 yr old in training but everyone writing off MTB I think is very premature.

They could have gone around three more times Mine that Bird, who is a nice horse, was never ever going to go by her.. What people need to realize is that if the race was longer or if Smith had a slightly better trip Rachel still would had held him off.. She is special, he is OK

What did Funny Cide do wrong after the TC? He won the JCGC, Excelsior, Dominion Day, and Kings Point; 2nd in the Mass Cap, Saratoga Cap; and was 3rd in the Donn, New Orleans Cap, and Suburban. Pretty decent career IMO.

like I said would win a race here and there and I agree FC resume is not too shabby but he would lose like 3 races grab a win, lose a few more, grab a win. that's all.

I don't think MTB will be a Da'Tara

But having said all that if he does not redeem himself in the Travers we could be looking at another Funny Cide and or Giacomo. Will win a race here or there but not sustaining a Champion like run.

This was your original quote. Were you expecting a better career from Mine That Bird than what Funny Cide did? Really?

Who ever thought Mine that Bird was so friggin special.. Other then beating the scary good POTN who has he beatin of quality?

Can't we say the same thing about Rachel Alexandra?

Mine that bird ran a nice derby and preakness against an awful crop. He ran a nice race against rachel but he wasnt beating her that day.

His last two races were very average and he was beaten by horses that arent too special.

Still, his ability is enough to be competitive in many stakes in this day.

we don't know the second season has just started, have no clue what the future holds.

I think FC had a nice solid career but it was spotty. And if I had a nickel for everytime someone on this board and others put a fork in him and such I'd be rich.

FC after the TC races never put together that Champion like string of winning Major GI's after GI's after GI's ala a Cigar, Invasor etc. He would lose quite a few, then all of a sudden grab a nice win, lose a few more and then grab a win.

What I'm trying to say with MTB is he seems to have that air about him that Funny Cide had. Everyone is ready to write off MTB and put a fork in him.
All I'm trying to say is it is way too early for that. Let's see how he performs in the Traver's and go from there.

I think Munnings is a fast G1 quality sprinter.. Rachel crushes fields.. The Haskel will come back with a very big BSF. I have nothing against Mine That Bird at all.. He is certainly a honest horse and his trainer isn't exactly HOF material..