Sunday, November 07, 2010
Mine That Bird, the New Mexico-based longshot winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), has been retired.
Racing for Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach of Roswell, Mine That Bird finished a well-beaten tenth in his last career start, Saturday’s $1-million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Churchill Downs. All told, the 4-year-old Birdstone gelding earned $2,228,637 from 18 starts, and his five victories included three stakes, including the 2009 Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1.
That race marked Mine That Bird’s last career victory.
“The plan was to retire after this race,” said Dr. Blach of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. “Mine That Bird has given us everything we’ve asked of him. He gave a great effort. It’s been a wonderful ride.”
Arguably the most popular racehorse ever in New Mexico, Mine That Bird was trained by Bloomfield resident and longtime New Mexico-based conditioner Bennie L. “Chip” Woolley Jr. during his 3-year-old season. His race record included a second-place finish in the listed $100,000 Borderland Derby at Sunland Park, and a fourth-place run in the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby.
Recently, it was announced that a movie will be made about Mine That Bird’s career and improbable victory in the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. The film will be directed by Jim Wilson, the Academy Award-winning producer of “Dances With Wolves.” The production team also includes Santa Fe resident Tony Mark, executive producer of the Academy Award winner “The Hurt Locker.”
Preproduction for the movie is scheduled to begin in February.