RADAR

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CANADIAN TRIPLE CROWN:

• The NEW PROVIDENCE STAKES is tomorrow’s Woodbine feature, it is an Ontario sired sprint for older guys. The race is named for the first winner of Canada’s Triple Crown and the Triple crown is 50 years old this year.

New Providence was an E.P. Taylor special who did not get sold at auction for $10,000. He went to win the Crown series and was one of the best horses for Windfields Farm.

The 28th New Providence is a tricky handicapping affair with the honours of favoritism totally up for grabs. Dancer’s Bajan is the best horse in the race but he is not great a just 6 furlongs and he was 6th in the race last year behind Main Executive. But if he gets a good pace to run at from the likes of Bold Nurse, Stray Cat Stride and Drunken Love, who knows what could happen.

Trainer Robert Tiller won the race 2 years ago with Dave the Knave, who landed in claiming races and has since been bought by his breeder to be retired.

8th (4:24)

1  1 Dancer’s Bajan Husbands P Tiller Robert P 124   L 5-2

2  2 Legal Move Beckon C Fournier Mark 121   L 7-2

3  3 Drunken Love McAleney J S Jordan Terry 115   L 9-2

4  4 Bold Nurse Callaghan S Doyle Michael J 115   L 15-1

5  5 Stray Cat Stride Dos Ramos R A O’Callaghan Danny M 115   L 12-1

6  6 Stuck in Traffic Da Silva E R Gonzalez Nicholas 121   L 8-1

7  7 Celerity’s Summit Garcia D Dittfach Hugo 115   L 20-1

8  8 Gone Trajectory Wilson E Bell David R 115   L 8-1

9  9 Yummy With Butter Stein J Fournier Mark 115   L 6-1

Exactor / Triactor / Superfecta / Pick 3 (Races 8-9-10) 

PREAKNESS NOTES

May 16, 2nd jewel of Triple Crown

CONFIRMED STARTERS

LAST RACE, SCHEDULED ARRIVAL

Mine That Bird, Won Kentucky Derby, May 12

Musket Man, 3rd in Kentucky Derby, TBA

Papa Clem, 4th in Kentucky Derby, May 9

General Quarters, 10th in Kentucky Derby, May 12

Flying Private, 19th in Kentucky Derby, May 12

Big Drama, 2nd in Swale, May 6

Hull, Won Derby Trial, May 13

Take the Points, 4th in Santa Anita Derby, TBA

Terrain, 4th in Blue Grass, May 13

PROBABLE STARTERS    

Pioneerof the Nile, 2nd in Kentucky Derby, May 13

Friesan Fire, 18th in Kentucky Derby, May 11

POSSIBLE STARTERS    

Conservative, 2nd in Lexington Stakes, TBA

Rachel Alexandra, Won Kentucky Oaks, May 13 (if runs)

Tone It Down, 3rd in Tesio Stakes, TBA

MINE THAT BIRD notes from Chruchill Downs – Pimlico racecourse:

Kentucky Derby 135 winner Mine That Bird galloped two times around the main track at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning before the renovation break with exercise rider Charlie Figueroa up.

Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. expressed satisfaction with the morning activity and remains on track to bring Mine That Bird, owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine, to Pimlico on Tuesday. “He is doing good and I am surprised how he has bounced back because he had to run hard,” Woolley said. “But he is pretty easy on himself and doesn’t pound the ground.”

But the overriding issue Thursday morning was the possibility that Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra could be supplemented to the Preakness and Woolley could possibly lose the services of jockey Calvin Borel, who swept the Oaks and Derby last weekend. “I hope they go to the Acorn (on June 6) with that mare,” Woolley said. “I told people that day (Derby Day) that I was glad she was not in the Derby.”    

Woolley was bracing for the prospect of maybe losing his rider. “It’s a possibility; it could happen,” Woolley said. “But I don’t think I will have a hard time finding a rider if it happens.”

MINE THAT BIRD – THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Cool story on owner of bird’s brother

Saylor Ponders Future for Bird’s Half-Brother

By Deirdre B. Biles

Paul Saylor said “I nearly fell out of my chair” while watching the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented By Yum! Brands (gr. I) on television. Like a lot of people, he was surprised by Mine That Bird’s huge upset. But what really knocked Saylor for a loop was the realization that a juvenile Yonaguska colt he owned suddenly had become a half-brother to a classic winner.

Believing “if you have an opportunity to take money off the table, it’s probably something you should consider doing in this business,” Saylor decided to make Mine That Bird’s sibling a late entry to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training in Timonium, Md. The Yonaguska colt will be offered during the auction’s opening session May 18, which is two days after Mine That Bird is scheduled to run in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at nearby Pimlico. Cary Frommer, as agent, will consign the dark bay or brown juvenile, which will be Hip No. 107 in the sale catalog.

“That’s what makes this game great; you never know what’s going to happen,” Saylor said in a May 7 phone interview. “You can’t predict the bad circumstances, and you sure can’t predict the good ones. I guess we all hang in there because something can jump up and run big and you get an opportunity like this.”

www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/50666/saylor-ponders-future-for-birds-half-brother

RACHEL UPDATE

Will she or won’t she?

Always looking for a good story that has “legs.” This one has four of them. And I’m not talking about the four legs that carried fantastic filly Rachel Alexandra to a record-breaking 20 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks last Friday.

How about this for legs? After Rachel Alexandra was bought by Jess Jackson on Wednesday, trainer Hal Wiggins lost his only Grade I winner when the filly was moved to Steve Asmussen’s barn at 5:15 yesterday morning. It’s a little like changing coaches on the eve of the Final Four, but that’s horse racing.

www.courier-journal.com/article/20090508/COLUMNISTS02/905080441/A+lot+going+on+with+Rachel+Alexandra