Twice, a Kentucky Derby winner was scheduled to run in the Pennsylvania Derby. But Spend A Buck (1985) and Smarty Jones (2004) were hurt and retired before they could run in Philadelphia Park's premier race.

Now, surgery to the 2009 Derby winner Mine That Bird could be the reason the gelding ends up being the first Derby winner to run in the Pa. Derby. Unlike the Rachel Alexandra longshot nomination, this is much more real. Mine That Bird actually could run at PhillyPark. In fact, PhillyPark's director of racing, Sal Sinatra, feels confident Mine That Bird will be in his race.

Mine That Bird underwent throat surgery yesterday morning at the Ruffian Equine Medical Center, across from Belmont Park. Dr. Patricia Hogan, the same surgeon who repaired Smarty's eye injury in 2003, operated on the horse.

After a Monday workout at Saratoga, MTB was discovered to have an entrapped epiglottis. The horse was at Saratoga to get ready for the Aug. 29 Travers Stakes. With the surgery, MTB might not be ready for the $1 million Travers. So, the Pa. Derby, with the same $1 million purse and 9 days later (Sept. 7), is an obvious alternative.

"[Mine That Bird's trainer Chip Woolley] called me at 7 o'clock [Monday] night," Sinatra said. "He called to nominate. He said it's only supposed to be a couple of days [to recover], but we could really use the 10 days. He said he'd let me know in a couple of days, but in talking with him for 15 minutes, I think he's 99 percent coming to me."

Even if fully healthy, Mine That Bird likely would be no better than a third choice in the Travers behind Florida Derby winner Quality Road and Jim Dandy winner Kensei. If MTB came to the Pa. Derby, he would be the odds-on favorite.

"Why rush the horse to the Travers against Quality Road?" Sinatra said.

Yesterday's surgery was over in 5 minutes. Horses recover quickly from it. In fact, Alysheba won the 1987 Kentucky Derby a month after the surgery. The question is: Will 11 days be enough time, especially given that MTB will have to miss some training time leading up to the Travers?

If Mine That Bird does come for the Pa. Derby, Sinatra thinks his opponents could include Peter Pan winner Charitable Man and West Virginia Derby winner Soul Warrior. But it won't be about them. It will about the 50-1 Derby winner from New Mexico who ran by the field at Churchill Downs and right into history.

The big race, maybe

 

The New York Racing Association is trying to make it happen on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park. The NYRA is trying to get a sponsor to help bump up the purse of the $600,000 Beldame Stakes, already scheduled for that day. If it gets to $1 million, there is a real chance the freaky-fast 3-year-old filly and the West Coast superstar 5-year-old mare could meet.

It would be a race limited to fillies and mares at 9 furlongs around one turn. Finding other females to enter might not be easy, but third and fourth would still be pretty big money.

Zenyatta last raced on Aug. 9 at DelMar. Her year-end goal is the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, either Nov. 6 in the Ladies or Nov. 7 in the Classic. Rachel will not run in the Breeders' Cup. Rachel's next race, which could be announced as soon as today, is widely expected to be the Sept. 5 Woodward at Saratoga, against older males. The Travers is also a possibility.

So, the Oct. 3 time frame would fit nicely into the schedules of both horses. Stay tuned. *

 

The one race everybody wants to see is Preakness and Haskell winner Rachel Alexandra against unbeaten Zenyatta.