Grade 1 winner Noble Bird launches season in optional claimer
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Noble Bird reached a pinnacle last June when he became a Grade 1 winner in the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.
“It was one of the highlights of our year,” said trainer Mark Casse.
A defense of that title is Noble Bird’s first major objective this season, and the road toward that goal starts Sunday at Oaklawn Park. Noble Bird, who races for John Oxley, will make his 5-year-old debut in the eighth race, an optional $62,500 claimer at a mile. It will end at the sixteenth pole, and Noble Bird was a winner at that configuration last year at Oaklawn.
The field of 12 includes Grade 3 winners Den’s Legacy, Rerun, and Recount, as well as 2014 Tenacious Handicap winner Rocket Time from Fair Grounds.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Noble Bird, by Birdstone
Last 3 Beyers: 73-108-103
◗ He last raced Aug. 8 and finished an uncharacteristic ninth in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. Following the race, diagnostics were performed on Noble Bird.
“He came out of his last start, he wasn’t right,” Casse said. “We took him for [tests], and he pulled a muscle in his hip, so he missed some time for his hip. It wasn’t a lot of time.”
Casse said the decision was made to put Noble Bird away for the rest of the year, with the Breeders’ Cup Classic looking like it would be a bear of a race courtesy of American Pharoah, Beholder, Honor Code, and Tonalist.
“We just felt like it was a tough group and thought if we give him time, got him healthy, that when he came back this year, a lot of those horses would be retired, and we wouldn’t have to deal with them,” said Casse.
◗ Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount on Noble Bird, who has turned in a trio of five-furlong works at Oaklawn since arriving in late January. His latest was from the gate, and he went in a bullet 1:00.80.
“He’s training well,” Casse said. “He’s a good work horse. He should be pretty tight. My only concern is one of his few bad races was first start back last year at Oaklawn. But that was going three-quarters.”
◗ Noble Bird stretched out to two turns for his second start last year and won a first-level allowance at a mile at Oaklawn. He won at 1 1/8 miles in the Stephen Foster.
Rocket Time, by Tiz Wonderful
Last 3 Beyers: 89-93-88
◗ He comes off a win in an optional $62,500 claiming race at a mile Jan. 8 at Fair Grounds. That start was his first since last April.
◗ Al Stall Jr., who is winning at a 50 percent clip at Oaklawn, trains Rocket Time for Frank Fletcher and has given the mount to Calvin Borel.