Birdatthewire displays determination to go with talent

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Twenty-four hours after watching Birdatthewire overcome adversity Saturday to win the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, trainer Dale Romans was still shaking his head when asked what was going through his mind as jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. stood straight up in the irons and appeared to be pulling up Birdatthewire as the field entered the backstretch.

“To be honest, I thought either the saddle had slipped or he had lost an iron,” said Romans. “I still can’t believe she overcame all that and went on to win the race. But that’s just the type of filly she is. It takes a special horse to overcome something like that.”

Romans said it is Birdatthewire’s versatility that sets her above most of the other members of her class. Earlier in the meet, she won the Grade 2 Forward Gal going seven furlongs and was second in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at a mile.

“She’s won a graded stakes sprinting, and now she’s won a graded stakes around two turns,” said Romans. “Not many of them can do that. And I believe she’ll get even better the further she goes. The problem with her in two-turn races, like Saturday, is that she’s got a lot of natural speed, and she can kind of get rank when in between or running up on horses like that. I told Irad, next time, just to ease her out in the clear and let her go.”

Next time for Birdatthewire will be the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 1.

“We’ll work on trying to get her off the bit a little when we get her to Kentucky,” said Romans. “The Oaks is a race I’ve never had a lot of success with in the past, so I’m really looking forward to running this filly in there.”