Mike Smith takes off 'Bird for Belmont
 

Smith takes off Mine That Bird for Belmont
By Jay Privman

http://www.drf.com/news/article/103872.html

Mike Smith, who rode Mine That Bird to a second-place finish in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, will not ride him in the June 6 Belmont Stakes, choosing instead to ride Madeo in the Grade 1 Whittingham Stakes at Hollywood Park that day.

Brad Pegram, Smith's agent, informed Chip Woolley, the trainer of Mine That Bird, on Monday morning. The decision opens the possibility that Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird to a victory in the Kentucky Derby before opting to ride the filly Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, can get back on Mine That Bird for the Belmont, if Rachel Alexandra does not run.

"We made this commitment to Madeo before the Preakness, before the filly was sold and Calvin took off Mine That Bird to ride the filly and we got a chance to ride Mine That Bird in the Preakness," Pegram said Monday.

I guess he really is the Rodney Dangerfield of horse racing.

Mike or Mine That Bird?

I guess you could say both.

poor horse!! He runs so well and nobody wants to stay on him! ;)

Unless Gomez is getting the mount back on Dunkirk, the Belmont winner, I bet he is trying hard to ride Mine That Bird......as are about ten riders.

Honestly MTB hasn't had who I would regard as a top rider on him yet, Chantal, Lambert, Borel, Smith. If Wooley makes the right choice the horse is bound to get a jockey upgrade in the Belmont.

He really did run a huge race in the Preakness, completely shocking but nice to see that maybe he isn't the worst Derby winner evah...

He won the Kentucky Derby and ran 2nd in the Preakness to a supieror horse. I really don't know what you are expecting from a jockey upgrade.

They were good rides, it would be less than credible to even infer they weren't, however in the long run the chances of good rides with these 2 diminishes IMO.

If Rachel goes I'd like to see either Dominguez or Gomez on Mine That Bird.

NT

Dominguez for sure; GG would 'over power' him.

If they were smart like they were in the derby they would put up a local jock that knows the track and when to put the trigger. Why doesnt Rajiv get much press around here I think he would be a nice fit for the horse

You make it sound like guys like Gomez, Dominguez, Prado (whoever you are considering top tier jockeys) are incapable of giving a bum ride. Whoever gets him next probably won't have to worry about navigating around 12 or 18 other horses, the way Borel and Smith did. But reguardless, he seems to be a nice horse (I'll admit I was wrong and thought that he would be off the board at Pimlico) and reguardless who is on him I think he has a good shot in NY if he runs.

Dominguez and Gomez are Belmont regulars now and both excel, at least in my opinion, with horses coming from off the pace.

Rajiv Maragh is steadily improving but is not near the caliber of RD or GG.

NT

The top jocks are local to Belmont. Wooley will have no problem getting a top jock to ride.

Going out on a limb here but I bet the Moss's and Shirreffs told Mike he is riding the horse at HP.

I would like to see Borel back on... cool story to win the "Jockey Triple Crown" on two different horses.

Are you coupling that with the sun sets in the west exacta for $2.10?

I bet on this board I could have gotten even money.

Lumpkins is available for the mount on MTB in the Belmont.